[Fantasy] The Rogue Landlord (Complete) - Chapter 34

Chapter Five: Chaos Erupts in the Capital -

The news of the disappearance of the beauty and the crown prince immediately heightened tensions in the capital. The fate of the only heir of the royal family remained unknown, casting a heavy shadow over the court. Besides dispatching troops to eradicate the Green Robe Sect, Zhu Yunwen's other crucial task was to suppress the growing rumors circulating in the court and prevent any potential disturbances.

The previously low-key Guo Jinghao, who was delighted that his two daughters had been chosen as crown princesses and that he was about to become a member of the royal family, was terrified upon hearing the news. However, being a seasoned official with decades of experience, he immediately cooperated with Zhu Yunwen to suppress the rumors. His high-profile handling of the matter shocked the civil and military officials. Besides assisting Zhu Yunwen in suppressing public opinion, the usually mild-mannered Guo Jinghao even carried out a bloody massacre of some officials who dared to spread rumors. He also dispatched his former associates and retainers to control the rumors circulating among the people. Only then did people see the ruthless side of this seemingly mild-mannered Right Chancellor.

Ji Long's honesty at this moment was suspicious, and Zhu Yunwen knew he would definitely send someone to find Xu Ping. If Xu Ping found him first, things could go terribly wrong. Therefore, in addition to the Imperial Guards, he also dispatched many other troops to search Hebei.

The four fastest official roads leading to Hebei were quickly filled with troops from all sides. The Imperial Guards traveled almost non-stop, and the general leading the team had already made a pledge to Zhu Yunwen: to bring back the Crown Prince alive, or at least to preserve his body if he died.

When the Imperial Guards were about to enter Tianfang Mountain, an unexpected incident occurred at the last checkpoint. A burly man with a single sword led ten thousand soldiers guarding a small path. The man's heavy, gloomy expression was chilling, and the soldiers behind him were all well-equipped, wielding chilling broadswords, their menacing presence comparable to that of the Imperial Guards.

The general with the longsword quickly signaled his men to halt, warily eyeing the formidable army before him. He had never heard of such a fierce and powerful force before, and immediately shouted, "How dare you! The Imperial Guards are acting on imperial orders! Who are you, daring to obstruct us?"

Zhao Meng's expression softened slightly. He cupped his hands and said, "Zhao Meng from Hebei, ordered by the Crown Prince to guard the pass! Since you have received the imperial command, I dare to request permission. If it is true, I, Zhao, will naturally not dare to cause trouble!"

Hearing that they were his men, the general with the longsword didn't say much, respectfully handing over the imperial edict. Zhao Meng took it, confirmed they were from the Imperial Guards, immediately apologized, and

waved his hand, clearing a path for his troops. The general with the longsword didn't say anything more, returning the salute with a wave of his hand, and another group of men galloped towards Tianfang Mountain! As soon as they passed, Zhao Meng's men regrouped, blocking the only road ahead, joining forces with Liu Hong's Hebei garrison to completely surround Tianfang Mountain.

When news of Xu Ping's disappearance reached the capital, the Crown Prince's residence was immediately thrown into an uproar. Zhao Ling and Uncle Liu, after discussing the matter, reacted instantly, sending a secret letter to Zhao Meng in Hebei, instructing him to intercept any other troops traveling without imperial orders. Accompanying the letter was a secret edict from Zhu Yunwen, which simply stated, "Execute first, report later."

Xu Ping's disappearance plunged Hebei into a state of tension. Upon hearing that his brother-in-law was in trouble, Zhao Meng immediately rose to his feet, leading over ten thousand troops to surround Tianfang Mountain.

At this time, Zhao Meng only recognized imperial edicts, disregarding even the Crown Prince's official warrants and ultimatums. He became a formidable obstacle at the foot of Tianfang Mountain, using force to eliminate many with ill intentions. Furthermore, having been a bandit himself, he also managed to kill any bandits attempting to cross the mountain.

Another convoy of carriages rumbled by, carrying about five hundred men dressed like martial arts practitioners. The men in the carriages were clearly prepared; upon seeing the shadowy-faced man in front, they tossed a roll of yellow silk.

Zhao Meng caught it, glanced at it, and without a word, ordered his men to back away. As the carriages sped past, Liu Ziyi peeked through the curtain and saw a mountain of corpses piled up behind Zhao Meng, the blood staining the road red. It seemed many of Ji Long's secret men had been killed by Zhao Meng. With such a powerful counterattack, her beloved should be much safer.

Liu Ziyi rushed to the Hebei branch, joined forces there, and began searching the area around Tianfang Mountain. The Demonic Cult's forces were now somewhat effective, expanding the search area considerably.

"The Tiandu Prefecture is acting on orders from the Ministry of War!" A short while later, another convoy of over three hundred men arrived, immediately startled upon seeing Zhao Meng's grim face.

"Kill!" Zhao Meng commanded in a muffled voice. With a swing of his broadsword, two thousand ferocious soldiers roared and charged forward.

"We're from the Ministry of War!" the approaching troops cried out in alarm.

But Zhao Meng, at this moment, only recognized the imperial edict. His soldiers were mostly refugees or former bandits from the Fierce Tiger Camp. They recognized the Crown Prince first, then Zhao Meng, and paid no heed to the Ministry of War's orders. They brandished their broadswords and charged, leaving a pile of fresh corpses after the chaotic battle.

At the foot of Tianfang Mountain, the disciples of the Green Robe Sect hadn't yet recovered from the tragedy. They were still burying their fellow disciples' bodies and cleaning up the blood when they suddenly heard a series of shrill screams coming from the entrance. Instantly, the earth seemed to tremble, and dust billowed up from the mountain path.

"What's going on?" The surviving elders were startled and rushed out.

At this moment, the entire wall was completely demolished. Before the dust had even settled, over five thousand Imperial Guards on horseback, brandishing their broadswords, roared and charged towards them.

The elder was terrified. Upon seeing the imperial army, he immediately tried to explain, but before he could, the leading general with a longsword cut him down from his horse. No matter how strong

the martial arts sects were, they were no match for the regular imperial army. Seeing the formidable force before them, some disciples were so frightened they lost control of their bladders. Before they could even recover their senses, they were killed with a single blow. The more clever ones tried to escape, but as soon as they scaled the wall, they were riddled with arrows by the Imperial Guards lying in ambush.

"What's going on?" Song Yuanshan, hearing the commotion outside, broke out in a cold sweat. When he came out to see what was happening, he was utterly horrified.

The entire headquarters was densely packed with Imperial Guard cavalry, and everywhere he went, there were the horrifying screams of his disciples. A group of killing gods were slaughtering all life, sparing neither children nor the elderly. With each stroke of their blades, corpses littered the ground, and severed limbs and broken bodies were trampled under the hooves of horses, a gruesome sight, a scene of utter carnage.

Song Yuanshan, still shaken from the shock of being attacked by Lü Zhenfeng the day before, hadn't expected the Imperial Guards to launch a surprise attack on the very first day. He knew the Qingyi Sect's centuries-old foundation was ruined, and such a ferocious army was unstoppable.

He hastily turned to flee. His appearance naturally attracted the attention of the Imperial Guards, but none pursued him. The generals remained busy searching for the hidden disciples, ready to deliver the fatal blow. Zhu Yunwen had ordered that no one be left alive, and they strictly adhered to that command in this massacre.

Seeing no one chasing him, Song Yuanshan climbed over the wall and breathed a sigh of relief, only to be suddenly entangled by three Heavenly Rank experts.

One of the three was skilled in boxing, another in swordsmanship, and the third used crutches; all were unparalleled masters hidden by Zhu Yunwen. If Xu Ping hadn't met with misfortune, he wouldn't have exposed these three killing machines. Song Yuanshan was no match for their combined attack. After a few hasty parries, he was quickly overwhelmed and forced to retreat. The

long-sword general watched coldly as the Imperial Guards, having already slaughtered the Green Robe Cult members, slowly encircled the battle.

"Report! Four hundred and sixty-seven people, not a single survivor!" A blood-soaked soldier carefully checked the area several times, adding a few more blows while panting, only daring to report after confirming there were no survivors.

The long-sword general waved for him to retreat, then took a bow and arrow, aiming at the still-fighting Song Yuanshan. His eyes turned cold, and a sharp arrow pierced Song Yuanshan's shoulder. Startled, Song Yuanshan lost all ability to resist and was immediately subdued by the three masters.

"My lords!" the general with the long sword said coldly, "His Majesty has ordered that this man be taken alive. I trouble you three to escort him back to the capital!"

Without uttering a word, the three subdued Song Yuanshan's pressure points and, escorted by over a hundred imperial guards, descended the mountain. The massacre of the entire Qingyi Sect was completed in less than half an hour, and considering the near-zero casualties among the imperial guards, such formidable fighting power was unparalleled in the world.

The Qingyi Sect, established for hundreds of years, was wiped out overnight; those wandering disciples could never have imagined such a tragic end. After reaping all lives, the imperial guards began a meticulous search for the Crown Prince's whereabouts. Anyone associated with the Qingyi Sect was executed without exception, even the commoners who grew vegetables for them at the foot of the mountain. The bloody massacre cast a heavy shadow over the area.

Two days of searching passed, and still no trace of Xu Ping! Liu Ziyi was frantic with worry. Zhang Hu, arriving later with a pale face, knew that if anything happened to his master, his entire family would be doomed. Joining the search team now was a way to ease his conscience.

Hebei was under strict lockdown. Besides searching for Xu Ping, they also had to be wary of Ji Long's forces. Everyone was on edge, not daring to be careless. Even the Imperial Guards were monitoring each other; who knew if Ji Long's men might be hiding among the mixed forces? They had to be cautious!

In the Crown Prince's residence in the capital, a somber atmosphere prevailed. Zhao Ling hadn't slept for two days and nights, anxiously awaiting news of Xu Ping, praying for good news. Cheng Ningxue was also constantly sighing, tears streaming down her

face. Lin Ziyan, of course, dared not show her worry. She secretly shed tears while comforting the two heartbroken young women, though she herself was also unable to eat or sleep, filled with anxiety.

The women of the residence and Uncle Liu sat in the backyard, discussing countermeasures and comforting each other. Xu Ping's sudden misfortune had robbed this once cheerful place of its usual lightness. Everyone forced smiles to comfort others, but their hearts were filled with bitterness and sorrow.

Suddenly, shouts of battle erupted outside the gate, followed by the clashing of weapons and screams.

"What's going on!" Uncle Liu jumped to his feet, his brow furrowing slightly, when a guard covered in blood rushed in, panting, "Uncle Liu, it's terrible! Over a thousand unidentified men are attacking the front gate, and they've surrounded the back gate too!"

"Who dares to be so audacious?" Ji Jingyue slammed her hand on the table in anger. An open attack on the Crown Prince's residence in the capital—wasn't this blatant rebellion?!

"I don't know, but they look like江湖人士 (jianghu figures, people from the martial arts world)." The guard finished speaking, gritting his teeth, and ran back to the front gate to provide support.

"What's going on?" Cheng Ningxue panicked.

Zhao Ling, having grown up in a mountain stronghold, possessed more experience and composure than her. At this moment, she appeared unusually calm. Her eyes darted around, her pretty face paled, and she said self-deprecatingly, "What's going on? If they want the royal family to cover their retreat, they'll come for our lives!"

Uncle Liu's eyes turned cold. How ruthless Ji Long was! With the master in trouble, the Ming Dynasty is essentially without an heir. While outwardly sending men to Hebei, they secretly couldn't resist taking action in the capital. Even if the master truly dies, there's no guarantee that some of the girls he favored might be pregnant. If they have a grandson, his joy will be in vain. He's thinking far ahead, striking now when no one expects it.

Uncle Liu's face darkened, and he quickly signaled all the women in the mansion to gather.

Zhao Ling, acting like the mistress of the Crown Prince's mansion, commanded, "Block the front gate! All the women in the mansion, gather here! But don't use the back gate. Since they came prepared, they must have ambushed people at the back. We must hold out for a while and wait for the Emperor's rescue!"

Cheng Ningxue, watching her resolute and extremely calm decision, was stunned for a moment before finally understanding why her beloved had entrusted everything to her when he left, without mentioning her anything. Compared to her own panic, the seemingly powerless Zhao Ling possessed the air of someone commanding the world—truly admirable.

Ji Jingyue understood as well. Her powdered face flushed with anger, and she drew her long whip, saying hatefully, "So what! Clearly, those outside are all desperate criminals, mostly bandits and thugs. Even if we leave them alive, they can't implicate Ji Long. We have to find a way to hold them off for a while; His Majesty will definitely not stand idly by."

Zhao Ling, though physically weak, was able to command the situation. Naturally, they were surrounded by the crowd. Cheng Ningxue and her daughter, possessing some martial arts skills, drew their swords and stood guard at the gate with grave expressions, listening warily to the approaching shouts of battle.

Just as Zhao Ling had predicted, seeing the courtyard quiet, the previously peaceful back gate immediately erupted in shouts. People were already smashing the heavy wooden door. Once the back gate was breached, the remaining guards wouldn't be able to protect the thirty-odd women. Everyone understood that their only hope was to stall, to stall until Zhu Yunwen's men came to their rescue.

"Haha, so many young girls!" A lewd laugh rang out as a lewd middle-aged man jumped in from outside the wall! Upon seeing so many stunning beauties, he was immediately overcome with lust, inwardly lamenting the pity that he couldn't enjoy such beautiful women and had to cruelly destroy them—it was truly unbearable.

Uncle Liu, seeing that the newcomer possessed first-rate, high-level strength, didn't say much. He unleashed his inner energy and instantly engaged him in combat, even managing to repel the bandits trying to climb over the wall. Cheng Ningxue, Ji Jingyue, and the others continued to vigilantly watch the increasingly close shouts of battle outside the wall.

Meanwhile, the Crown Prince's residence was under attack. Zhu Yunwen was shocked and instantly understood what was happening. He inwardly blamed himself for his carelessness and quickly dispatched a team to rescue them. However, before they arrived, they were entangled by another group of unknown individuals; distant water couldn't quench the immediate fire.

The women were on edge, caught between a rock and a hard place. Just as the front courtyard was about to fall, a deafening shout of battle suddenly erupted from the back courtyard, followed by the sounds of a chaotic melee.

"Miss!" A tense shout rang out as a panting man leaped onto the wall, his broadsword stained crimson with blood. Seeing the women, he yelled, "Come with me!"

"Uncle Jiu!" Upon seeing Lou Jiu, Cheng Ningxue and Lin Ziyan cried out in surprise. In this situation, they couldn't even consider why someone supposedly dead had come back to life.

Lou Jiu stamped his feet anxiously, shouting, "Don't say anything! They're getting more and more numerous, and I don't have many. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late!"

"Haha, so you have others too!" A chilling laugh echoed from ahead, and an extremely eerie nine-section whip lashed out, aimed directly at the defenseless Zhao Ling.

"Sister Ling!" Cheng Ningxue cried out in alarm, but it was too late to stop it. Before

the nine-section whip even reached her, another dark whip instantly wrapped around it. Ji Jingyue, gripping the whip, asked gravely, "Xiaoxue, who is he?" Clearly, she still didn't trust Lou Jiu.

Lin Ziyan rushed forward, shouting, "Let's run! I can guarantee with my life that Lou Jiu isn't one of Ji Long's men!"

"Alright!" There was no time to think. The front gate had already been smashed down, and Ji Jingyue was fighting with the newcomers, yelling, "Run! You'll be safe once you're inside the palace!"

"Auntie, I'm here to help you!" Seeing them locked in a fierce battle, Cheng Ningxue immediately brandished her soft sword and charged into the fray.

Lou Jiu inwardly groaned. He had secretly sent men to intercept Ji Long's men on their way to Hebei, but now he was short-handed. Upon hearing the news from the Crown Prince's residence, he immediately led everyone to his aid, but the enemy also outnumbered him. If things dragged on any longer, a safe retreat would be difficult.

Ji Jingyue understood Ji Long's purpose. Waving her whip, she shouted, "Lou Jiu, take Ling'er and go first. I'll send Ningxue out later."

"Master Ling, go with him!" Uncle Liu was also unable to spare any more time, as another person had jumped over and joined the attack on him.

"Miss!" Lou Jiu looked at Cheng Ningxue with some hesitation, clearly still wanting to rescue the mother and daughter first.

Lin Ziyan panicked, grabbing onto another thief while shouting, "Ninth Brother, hurry and protect her! It'll be too late if we don't leave now!"

"Let's go!" Lou Jiu, seeing this, knew they couldn't delay any longer and immediately reached out to Zhao Ling.

Zhao Ling knew she couldn't be coy now, so she gritted her teeth and followed Lou Jiu. Lou Jiu was exceptionally fierce, still thinking about returning to rescue Cheng Ningxue and her daughter. He wielded his broadsword, carving a bloody path through the alley, and escorted Zhao Ling to the carriage. But after only a few steps, other men arrived. Lou Jiu didn't care about anything else; he killed anyone who stood in his way, determined to get Zhao Ling into the palace and then return to rescue the mother and daughter.

The front gate was breached quickly. Accompanied by bursts of arrogant laughter, the leading middle-aged man leered at them, then suddenly reached out, and an invisible force pulled Miao Yin, who was huddled in the corner, towards him.

A Heavenly Realm expert, his true energy unleashed! Uncle Liu's face turned pale instantly. He hadn't expected such a powerful expert to appear. Looking at Yao Shuiru, whom the expert held in his hand, he was powerless to save her.

"Shuiru!" the women cried out in worry.

The burly man looked at the terrified girl in his hand and laughed loudly, "Don't blame me! A girl like you doesn't live! Little brat, you're really unlucky."

"Don't...don't kill me!" Miaoyin looked pitiful, almost like a frightened child.

"May you be reborn into a better family in your next life!" Amidst the menacing laughter of his subordinates, the burly man slowly raised his hand.

"No!"

Miaoyin screamed in terror. The girls, too timid to bear the sight, covered their eyes. But after the scream, everyone was speechless with shock. A burst of blood mist exploded. It wasn't the poor little girl who died, but the once arrogant burly man.

Miao Yin watched him slowly fall, his face filled with disbelief. Her expression turned cold, and she said indifferently, "I told you not to make a move!"

With that, her small body suddenly erupted with a powerful killing intent, forcing everyone to take a step back. Her once innocent and adorable eyes instantly flashed with a terrifying cold light, and a faint white aura surrounded her. She coldly swept her gaze over them, and whoever her gaze fell upon felt a chill run down their spines.

"What...what's going on?" Everyone from the Crown Prince's residence was too frightened to speak. The once weak and helpless girl was now like a goddess, incredibly strong.

"Hmph!" With a cold snort, Miao Yin lightly flicked her sleeve, and several streams of true energy shot out, instantly turning those who had been fighting with Uncle Liu and Ji Jingyue into a cloud of blood mist.

Everyone's faces turned green with fear. With a single move, regardless of whether they were Earth-rank or Heaven-rank, death was inevitable. Such strength was unheard of; it was truly terrifying.

Uncle Liu was also stunned. He had initially thought she was a petty spy, but he hadn't expected her to be such a powerful expert. If she truly harbored ill intentions, she would have probably killed everyone in the manor long ago. Thinking of this, he broke out in a cold sweat.

Miao Yin was not afraid of the enemy's numbers. Her petite body slowly floated up, standing suspended in mid-air, and said, word by word, "Anyone who wants to die, come up!"

"The power of a Saint-level expert!" Everyone was shocked. The legendary realm had appeared, and many people had already given up hope. Faced with such a demigod, they had long lost the will to resist.

Miao Yin snorted coldly, and with a wave of her long sleeves, everyone standing in front of the door died without any reaction. Only those standing outside the courtyard were dumbfounded, unable to see how she had made her move.

"Grandmaster!" A series of delicate calls rang out, and suddenly more than two hundred women in flowing skirts floated in. Miaoyin breathed a sigh of relief. Even with her strength, she knew her true energy would eventually run out, and she couldn't possibly stop over a thousand people. She quickly instructed, "Escort them to the palace!"

"Yes!" The disciples dared not say a word and quickly escorted Cheng Ningxue and the others, fighting their way through the back courtyard.

Everyone successfully left, hoping nothing unexpected would happen on the short journey. The only one left behind, Uncle Liu, looked at Miaoyin with a grave expression and respectfully asked, "Senior, may I ask who you are?"

"You still have time to ask such questions now!" Miaoyin's expression turned cold, and she said irritably, "If I wanted to kill you all, the Crown Prince's residence would be full of corpses by now. Who do you think could stop me here!" "

This junior is foolish!" Uncle Liu blushed. Facing a girl like Miaoyin, it was indeed absurd to address her as a junior. Thinking about it, what she said made sense. With such a demon hiding in the residence, if she really wanted to go on a killing spree, no one could stop her. He had been overly cautious. He just didn't know where his master had found such a powerful figure.

"What's going on?" A scholar-looking man ran over and, seeing everyone had stopped, said anxiously, "We don't have much time left! We have to act quickly! If the Imperial Guards and the people from the Heavenly Capital Prefecture arrive, we won't be able to escape!"

Hearing this, the crowd was immediately filled with malice. Someone shouted, "Who cares what her rank is? Let's all attack together! She'll eventually run out of energy! Kill her!"

At this point, they had no way out and roared as they charged towards Miaoyin. Miaoyin calmed herself, and her inner energy exploded forth. Without fear, she charged into the crowd, her sleeves flashing with murderous intent, reaping lives one after another.

Uncle Liu knew this was buying time for the others to escape. His face turned cold, and with a roar, he also charged in.

With so many opponents, Uncle Liu was at a significant disadvantage. Although he could hold his own, his body was covered in numerous wounds. Compared to his disheveled state, Miao Yin fared much better. Many were too afraid to fight, but she showed no mercy. Her once-soft sleeves were now more terrifying than the Grim Reaper's scythe; a single touch meant instant death. Screams echoed through the crowd, and no one could escape through the back door to chase after Zhao Ling and the others.

Although Miao Yin was petite and had the appearance of a young girl, she stood before the door like a killing god. Her cloud-like sleeves floated eerily like long, sharp blades, and her cold, handsome expression was chilling. After killing over a hundred people, no one dared to take another step forward, and the stalemate continued.

"Ah..." Uncle Liu let out a piercing scream as a long sword pierced his heart, and he immediately spat out a mouthful of blood.

Miaoyin didn't try to save him. Looking at his wound, she knew it was too late; this fatal injury meant he couldn't survive. So she turned away, focusing solely on guarding the door to prevent them from leaving.

Seeing that so much time had been spent, and that the ladies should have already arrived at the palace, Uncle Liu smiled with satisfaction. He felt his old bones had served their duty, and he could finally reunite with his family without any worries. Suddenly, Uncle Liu laughed loudly, his expression turning cold. He spat out a mouthful of blood, roared, and used his last bit of true energy to perish together with those around him, taking more than a dozen lives with him.

Watching Uncle Liu's aged body fall, a bloody mess, yet with a satisfied smile on his face, Miaoyin sighed softly. Seeing that some had already cleverly scaled the wall or escaped through the front door, she quickly leaped to intercept them.

Lou Jiu, struggling to protect Zhao Ling, was ambushed by bandits. At the same time, disciples of the Hundred Flowers Palace arrived with others, and Lou Jiu and the arriving disciples immediately joined forces to fend off the overwhelming onslaught.

The Imperial Guard, the capital's forces, the Shuntian Prefecture's forces, Lou Jiu's forces, the Hundred Flowers Palace forces, Ji Long's forces, and Zhu Yunwen's hidden forces—half the capital was plunged into chaos. The fighting was fierce, and no one dared to leave their homes.

A steady stream of bandits arrived. Lou Jiu and the Hundred Flowers Palace disciples, to protect the women, had already suffered over half their casualties, but they gritted their teeth and dared not relax. However, several hundred more enemy reinforcements arrived from behind.

"Kill!" Suddenly, a furious roar erupted, and over a thousand men charged out from the right-hand road.

Lou Jiu's heart skipped a beat. These men were all burly and heavily armed, looking extremely fierce. It was truly a case of being surrounded; if they were caught, there would be no escape. The disciples of the Hundred Flowers Palace were also on high alert, but a sense of helplessness was already creeping in.

However, these thousand-plus men bypassed them, charging towards the intercepted bandits and engaging them in fierce combat.

"Master, are you alright?" Immediately afterward, dozens more burly men wielding large swords rushed in. The leader was as tall as an iron tower, with a thick beard and a menacing appearance.

"Chen Qi!" Zhao Ling cried out in surprise, "Don't panic, it's one of us!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Chen Qi immediately gathered all the troops from the three schools of the Fierce Tiger Battalion who had been lying in ambush in the capital to come to the rescue. Seeing that everyone was safe, he breathed a sigh of relief, his face turning cold. He solemnly said to Lou Jiu, "This way! I've killed all the ambushers. You must ensure the safety of our masters!"

Lou Jiu, a man of courage, snorted coldly, "Nonsense!" and immediately directed his men to run in the direction Chen Qi had indicated.

While blocking the pursuers, Chen Qi raised his sword and shouted, "Brothers, kill all these traitors who dare to offend the Crown Prince's residence!" After shouting, he brandished his broadsword and charged at the approaching men.

The men hurriedly ran across an intersection, where a fierce battle was also taking place. The people of Shuntian Prefecture were fighting amongst themselves, locked in a fierce struggle, and had no time to attend to the fleeing men.

"Halt!" Suddenly, a small squad of about a thousand Imperial Guards appeared before the road. A general with a long spear coldly stared at Lou Jiu.

"We are from the Crown Prince's residence!" Lou Jiu immediately identified himself

. The general with the long spear smiled smugly: "Hmm, I've been waiting for you!"

Lou Jiu sensed something was wrong and was about to warily engage when a squad of black-armored cavalry suddenly charged out from the roadside, heading straight for the Imperial Guards. Each soldier was armed with a long sword and rode a large horse, their bearing no less impressive than the Imperial Guards. Leading them was a general wielding a Guan Dao (a type of halberd).

Cheng Ningxue recognized the newcomers and exclaimed in surprise, "Guan Daming!"

"No need for further words, proceed to the palace immediately!" Guan Daming roared after speaking and charged towards the squad of Imperial Guards who had already betrayed him.

By now, Xu Ping had almost exposed all his combat-capable forces, but it was only because of the loyalty of these men that the women were safe. Lou Jiu really wanted to wield his sword and fight alongside the enemy, but thinking of the heavy responsibilities on his shoulders, he gritted his teeth and quickly protected the women, bypassing the encirclement and fleeing towards the palace.

The chaos in the capital had exceeded everyone's expectations; one could even see bloody infighting between the Imperial Guards and between the Shuntian Prefectures, where people forgot their brotherhood for their respective masters, fighting fiercely until the sky darkened. Given

the situation in the capital, Zhu Yunwen naturally dared not send out any more troops. If he did, the palace would be left vulnerable, and even he would be in danger. Now, all he could rely on was the good fortune of the women of the Crown Prince's residence.

At the last checkpoint near the palace gates, helping to defend against the enemy were the more than five hundred experts under Guo Jinghao's command. Although the old man had always kept a low profile, he had many capable and extraordinary men under his command. They stepped forward to block this wave of pursuit, helping Lou Jiu successfully escort the women to the palace.

With the palace just two miles away, nearly two thousand bandits blocked their path. Even Lou Jiu was surprised to see their leader.

The one blocking their way was the infamous Iron-Armed Eagle, a fugitive whose whereabouts were unknown. Seeing him here was unexpected. Without a word, Iron-Armed Eagle unleashed a powerful attack, forcing Lou Jiu to retreat repeatedly, but he also desperately protected the women.

"Brother, it's bad! The people from Tiandu Prefecture are here!" a subordinate rushed in to report.

Iron-Armed Eagle frowned. The palace gates opened, and over a thousand experts from Tiandu Prefecture were already engaged in a fierce battle with his men, about to charge. He quickly ordered everyone to hold them off while he led all his experts towards Lou Jiu and Yao Lu, aiming for a swift victory.

The members of the Hundred Flowers Palace were highly skilled in martial arts and played a crucial role at this moment. With their skillful teamwork, they managed to withstand the overwhelming onslaught, preventing Iron-Armed Eagle from getting close, though they themselves were also somewhat battered.

A long, dragon-like roar suddenly echoed through the sky, and a figure suddenly appeared in mid-air. The newcomer was dressed entirely in black robes, his body enveloped in golden true energy, like a god of death from the heavens. His hands were wrapped in a faint crimson hue. He suddenly stood before Iron-Armed Eagle, protecting the Hundred Flowers Palace disciples behind him, his cold gaze fixed intently on him.

Lu Zhenfeng had finally managed to escape Lin Yuan's entanglement, but upon inquiring, he learned that his junior brother was missing! A wave of self-reproach washed over him. The disciples of Ghost Valley were few and more precious than anything else, yet his momentary hesitation had put him in danger. Filled with remorse, he searched everywhere for Xu Ping's whereabouts. While searching, he happened upon the chaos in the capital and naturally could not stand idly by.

"Kill!" Iron-Armed Eagle, overestimating his abilities, roared and charged forward with his blade, followed by a dozen or so experts.

Lu Zhenfeng, his face contorted with rage, unleashed a furious attack to vent his anger and atone for his sins. He held nothing back, his claws flashing, unleashing boundless killing intent as he coldly charged towards them. The blood energy emanating from his hands was bizarre; those at the forefront, struck by his attack, exploded into a bloody mist, leaving no trace.

The eerie blood energy swirled like crescent moons, enveloping Lu Zhenfeng and inspiring terror. Amidst screams of agony, Iron-Armed Eagle, already wounded, retreated. The other experts couldn't even withstand a single blow, all instantly slaughtered.

The blood energy was incredibly fierce, leaving a trail of blood mist that lingered in the air for a long time. Lü Zhenfeng stood alone, his blood energy swirling like whirlwinds, forcing everyone to retreat. Anyone who dared to resist was doomed.

"Ah..." Lou Jiu, upon seeing the familiar crimson true energy, was horrified and stammered, "Blood Slaughter Thousand Waves..."

These words shocked everyone. It was one of the legendary Blood Hand Demon Lord's killing moves, a purely evil art designed for slaughter! Lü Zhenfeng's strength was astonishing. His attackers were forced to retreat, those who were terrified already fleeing in panic. Even the people of Tiandu Prefecture were terrified by his ferocity.

Lü Zhenfeng treated this battle as an outlet for his fury; his roars sent blood and flesh flying everywhere, his blood energy leaving no intact corpse, a sight that terrified everyone present.

The ground was covered in blood and body parts. Everyone was terrified and made way for him. Those who were still in shock had lost control of their bladders and bowels. Some couldn't even hold their weapons properly, and they fell to the ground. Organs, blood, and severed limbs were scattered everywhere. Some heads even hung from trees. From the blank expressions in their lifeless eyes, it was clear they didn't even know they were dead.

Lü Zhenfeng then turned around and roared at Lou Jiu with a cold expression, "Aren't you leaving? Want to watch the show?"

Lou Jiu and his men finally snapped out of their daze. Although they didn't know why this god of death had helped them, they still respectfully thanked him and quickly led their men forward. Overwhelmed by Lü Zhenfeng's power, the others didn't dare move, watching helplessly as Lou Jiu led the women towards the palace.

"Hmph!" Lü Zhenfeng glanced around disdainfully, then with a graceful leap, he elegantly stepped into the void, following far behind the carriage.

With a Saint-level expert appearing, no one dared to give chase.

His departure brought the crowd back to their senses, each touching their clothes soaked with cold sweat. They snapped back to reality and resumed fighting. Tian Du Prefecture, now free from the pressure of reinforcements, was focused solely on eliminating Iron-Armed Eagle and his remaining forces. Lü Zhenfeng's brief departure had already killed over two hundred men and shattered the morale of Iron-Armed Eagle's group, leaving them virtually defenseless and forced into retreat by Tian Du Prefecture.

More men, unsure of their allegiance, arrived and joined the fray, somewhat bewildered. Miao Yin arrived just then, her lithe figure gracefully gliding over them towards the carriage.

The palace gates were surrounded by layers of imperial guards. As soon as they saw the carriage arrive, they rushed forward, glanced warily at the two top-notch masters standing in mid-air, and carefully led the terrified beauties into the palace.

Seeing that the person was safe, the two breathed a sigh of relief. Miaoyin turned around and said reproachfully, "Senior brother, what did you do? Why did Junior Brother disappear in Hebei? I don't believe that with you there, the Qingyi Sect could have done anything to him. What exactly happened!"

Lü Zhenfeng sighed with shame and blamed himself, "There was nothing I could do. I ran into that old bastard Lin Yuan. I didn't expect that after all these years, that old guy was still alive and had even broken through to the Saint Realm. In fact, he's even stronger than me. It was definitely my fault for not being able to protect him."

"Hmph!" Miaoyin snorted coldly, her expression suddenly turning somewhat sinister, "Now that the capital is in such chaos, Junior Brother's future is in turmoil because of your momentary cowardice. What do you plan to do?"

Lü Zhenfeng was already feeling guilty, and upon hearing this, he understood her meaning perfectly. He frowned and said angrily, "What else can I do! I promised Chen Daozi that I would protect Junior Brother's safety, but with this happening, there's nothing I can do. Whoever started this should be killed!"

"Let's go!" Knowing further words were pointless, Miaoyin turned and charged towards the Ji residence.

Lü Zhenfeng, his face grim, followed behind. The two Saint-level experts standing together, their aerial flight stunning all the fighting forces. It seemed no one in the world would dare to stand against them.

Inside the Ji residence, Kong Hai anxiously awaited news. If the attack succeeded, the Zhu family's empire would crumble, allowing Lord Ji to rise up. The current commotion in the capital was a desperate gamble; after all, his faction couldn't possibly defeat the imperial court in terms of forces within the capital, but success would be a gamble won.

"Lord Kong! Something terrible has happened!" A steward-like man rushed in, panting heavily. "We're in trouble! It's so eerie! We can't get out of the mansion at all!"

"In trouble my foot!" Kong Hai's heart skipped a beat, and he cursed, "What eerie thing could happen in broad daylight? Don't give me that nonsense! Where the hell is your master right now?"

The steward was almost crying with anxiety. "It's true, we can't find the way out of the mansion at all!"

"Really!" Another man dressed as a high-ranking official also rushed in, his face pale. "Lord Kong! I don't know why, but all the roads we used to know seem to have changed. We've been going around in circles and we can't find the main gate!"

"No way!" Kong Hai was shocked and hurriedly ran out. The mansion, which he used to know so well he could navigate it with his eyes closed, was now like a maze. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find the main gate.

Gritting their teeth, even scaling the walls yielded no way out. They practically crawled from one courtyard to another. Such an eerie event in broad daylight threw the entire Ji family into chaos.

Chapter Six: The Most Heinous of All, the Terrifying Nature of Chen Daozi

. Outside the Ji family mansion, almost no one noticed an old man with an air of otherworldly wisdom sitting cross-legged on the opposite rooftop. Before him was an altar, offering sacrifices to heaven and earth. An ancient and heavy incense burner was filled with incense sticks, all soaked in human blood and then dried. When burned, wisps of blood-red smoke could be seen rising from the smoke. Around him were flags of various colors and shapes, some inscribed with ancient characters, others depicting unidentified demons, all looking extremely frightening.

This man was none other than Chen Daozi, one of the disciples of Guiguzi. Although he was not skilled in martial arts, his ability to borrow the power of gods and ghosts and manipulate the power of heaven and earth was something even Lü Zhenfeng was wary of. Behind him stood five wooden statues, each wielding a snake and a tiger, exuding an aura of yin energy. Upon closer inspection, the statues were actually the Five Ghost Kings, each lifelike, their angry eyes glaring as if about to descend upon the mortal world.

In front of the table were ten pages of prayer texts, each page bearing the names of the Ten Kings of Hell, densely covered with unidentified characters, all written in the blood of black dogs, emitting a strong, pungent stench of blood.

Chen Daozi's eyes were bloodshot, his face extremely gloomy, revealing none of his usual playfulness and affability. He took out four human bones and placed them on the table, then solemnly poured a basin of blood over them. Black, ancient patterns appeared on the bones, gleaming with an eerie black light, utterly terrifying.

Ten paper talismans were taken and tossed into the air. Miraculously, the talismans spontaneously combusted, vanishing into ashes before they could burn completely, as if they had never existed.

A handful of water was sprinkled onto the ten pages of prayer text. Upon contact with the water, the text bubbled white, boiling as if doused with sulfuric acid. When the white bubbles subsided, all the writing had disappeared, leaving only a blank sheet of paper, seemingly unwritten.

At that moment, two figures, one large and one small, appeared in mid-air and flew towards them.

Miaoyin glanced at him from afar, her face grave. "Senior brother is truly enraged this time," she said.

Lu Zhenfeng looked at Chen Daozi, who was casting an evil spell. The ominous aura surrounding him and the sinister magical implements were chilling. Looking at the five statues of the Ghost Emperors, he felt a chill run down his spine. He nodded gravely and said, "Yes, in all our decades of friendship, this is the first time I've seen him so furious. It seems we don't need to intervene this time!"

The two landed lightly behind Chen Daozi, remaining silent. Chen Daozi turned around and glared at Lu Zhenfeng reproachfully, making him lower his head in shame. He then silently returned to his ritual.

Biting his finger, Chen Daozi wrote a blood talisman while muttering with his eyes closed, "This disciple begs with my blood, respectfully requesting the Five Ghost Emperors to open the gates of hell!" He then knelt down with devout eyes, silently chanting.

Upon hearing that Chen Daozi had actually used a vicious and evil method to ask the Ghost Emperor to open the prison gates, the two men instantly lost all color in their faces. Although many people didn't believe in such evil magic, as members of the Ghost Valley lineage, they knew what it meant. Once the prison gates were opened, hungry ghosts would roam freely, and anyone they encountered would not only be killed but also have their souls mercilessly devoured, making it impossible for them to be reincarnated. It was an extremely evil method.

"Senior brother, are you really going to open the prison gates?" Lü Zhenfeng looked at him in shock.

Miaoyin also frowned. This charlatan, who usually liked to play tricks and even act frivolously, now had an extremely sinister expression. Although he didn't possess any martial arts skills, if he really hardened his heart and had enough time to prepare the magical tools, if he used the power of gods and ghosts to perform evil magic, perhaps no one in the world could rival him.

Chen Daozi respectfully placed the blood talisman down, took four black dog heads as sacrificial offerings, and awaited the response from the underworld. He turned around, sighed, and said, "My junior brother's fate is uncertain. Yesterday, I used the method of observing the stars to calculate his whereabouts, but I still couldn't find out. I promised him I would help him ascend the throne. If something truly happens to him, then this can only be a form of compensation!"

As he spoke, his eyes turned cold, and he gritted his teeth, looking at the gate of the Ji residence, saying, "If something truly happens to my junior brother, I will make this culprit's entire family pay the price! I will make his soul scatter and never be reincarnated!"

Miaoyin felt a chill penetrate her bones and tentatively asked, "Senior brother, why don't you remove the formation? With us here, killing them is just a piece of cake."

"Yes!" Lü Zhenfeng also quickly advised, "Opening the prison gates cannot be taken lightly. If something goes wrong, the capital will be devastated!"

"I don't care!" Chen Daozi glanced at him coldly, then turned back to continue his ritual.

The two exchanged a helpless glance. Although Chen Daozi was usually jovial, once he became ruthless, no one could control him. If he prepared the necessary items for his ritual, no one could withstand the power of gods and ghosts. The two were unsure of the consequences of interrupting his ritual, and seeing that he had made up his mind, they could do nothing to persuade him further.

Chen Daozi continued chanting the incantation, when suddenly the blood talisman on the table turned into a wisp of green smoke and rose straight into the sky. He immediately exclaimed with joy, "Alright! The Ghost Emperor has agreed to open the prison gates!"

The two men's faces instantly turned pale. It seemed that their senior brother wouldn't be satisfied without killing Ji Long's entire family using the most vicious methods. Once the prison gates were opened, any mishap would be no laughing matter.

Chen Daozi retrieved an ancient-looking scepter, silently chanting incantations as he drew talismans in mid-air. Suddenly, lines of bloody tears flowed from the terrifying, angry eyes of the Five Ghost Emperors' statues, seemingly pitying the souls about to be condemned to eternal damnation. Simultaneously, the black dog's head on the table was inexplicably gnawed away, leaving only bones. This bizarre scene sent chills down the spines of even the two Saint-level experts.

"By order of the Five Ghost Emperors, I have chosen a time and place of darkness to summon souls and obscure the eyes of Heaven. Prison gates, open!"

With Chen Daozi's bloodshot shout, the once clear sky was shrouded in dark clouds, almost completely obscuring the sun. A chilling wind followed.

Lü Zhenfeng understood that the situation was beyond repair. After a long sigh, his gaze fell upon the courtyard of the Ji family mansion. He felt a pang of sympathy for the people inside. Chen Daozi's cultivation was profound; if he truly wanted to, he would not allow them any chance of survival.

"Open the prison gates!" Chen Daozi hurled his scepter, which landed firmly in front of the Ji residence. At that moment, the statues of the Five Ghost Emperors flew over on their own, forming a pentagonal shape to surround the vast Ji residence.

Upon landing, the statues released a sinister black mist, slowly enveloping the already panicked Ji residence. Soon, the entire residence was enveloped. As the Ghost Emperors' eyes grew increasingly red, howls as if from hell began to emanate from the black mist—the wailing of hungry ghosts was terrifying.

Meanwhile, some of Ji Long's men, already routed, retreated to the alleyway, fighting and retreating, desperately seeking refuge.

Chen Daozi's face darkened. While performing his ritual, he shouted, "Go and stop them! If the Ghost Emperor statue is moved, the formation will break, and these evil spirits will be unrestrained and wreak havoc on the world!"

The two men, not daring to delay, rushed down to intercept the surging crowd. For the sake of the capital's survival, they had to kill them instantly, showing no mercy. Together with Zhu Yunwen's men, they slaughtered the remaining foes. A

chilling wind filled the formation. The evil spirits, imprisoned for hundreds of years, rarely had a chance to escape, and naturally committed heinous acts. Even Chen Daozi dared not imagine the carnage within the mansion. Closing his eyes, he listened to the roars of the evil spirits and the screams of the crowd. They must have died in terror, but even their souls were devoured, preventing them from entering the cycle of reincarnation. Had he gone too far?

After a bloody massacre in the alley, only the troops of Tiandu Prefecture remained standing. Lü Zhenfeng, his face full of vigilance, looked at them and shouted, "Retreat!"

Miaoyin's petite figure was now suspended in mid-air, her sleeves still floating eerily. Although she didn't speak, the severity in her eyes implied: anyone who dared to take a step forward would be killed without mercy.

The people of Tiandu Prefecture, seeing the two men's formidable strength, hesitated for a moment before turning back to slaughter the remaining rebels in the capital.

Chen Daozi calculated the time, silently expressed his gratitude, and then shouted. All the offerings on the table turned to ashes. At the same time, the thick black mist began to slowly dissipate. When the dark clouds dispersed and the sun shone brightly, the statues and scepters of the five Ghost Emperors had all turned to ashes and drifted away with the wind, as if nothing had happened.

But the once vibrant lives in the courtyard had all turned into mummies, their eyes wide open as if they had witnessed the most terrifying eighteen levels of hell before their deaths. Their terrified expressions made it seem that death might have been the best release for them.

Chen Daozi was drenched in sweat, unsteady on his feet after performing the ritual. The two hurriedly helped him down from the roof, only to find his clothes completely soaked.

It seemed this heaven-defying evil magic was indeed powerful; even Chen Daozi couldn't be entirely certain he could open the prison gates and send the evil spirits away. Fortunately, nothing went wrong; otherwise, who knows what chaos the capital would have descended into?

Chen Daozi, weak and pale, instructed Miaoyin, "Junior sister, you know my family well. Go to the palace now and tell them to burn a million coins of paper money and sacrifice a thousand animals to the Five Ghost Emperors at midnight tomorrow. Otherwise, the evil spirits will cause trouble, and the prison gates might open again."

"Senior brother, take care!" Miaoyin's face darkened; she understood the importance of this matter and quickly ran towards the palace.

"Why did you do this?" Lü Zhenfeng sighed deeply, looking at the tragic state of the Ji family mansion.

Chen Daozi still blamed him for not protecting Xu Ping, turning his head away and saying, "Find me a quiet place now. I need to rest and pray for my junior brother, to see how he is. Don't worry about me, hurry to Hebei and help find him!"

"Yes!" Lü Zhenfeng nodded solemnly, saying confidently, "Don't worry, my junior brother is of noble lineage, he's definitely a lucky man."

Chen Daozi nodded weakly, closed his eyes, and said nothing more.

Lü Zhenfeng felt guilty and didn't dare say more. After quickly finding him a place to rest, he rushed towards Tianfang Mountain. With his superior skills, avoiding Zhao Meng's guards was not difficult, and he arrived in half a day. In this treacherous place that even the Imperial Guards could hardly reach, he searched for Xu Ping, whose fate was unknown because of his momentary hesitation.

Chen Daozi was resting in a small courtyard in a secluded corner of the capital. He was extremely weak, almost deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot and quite frightening. Despite his exhaustion, he showed no sign of resting. Night was falling, and the deafening sounds of battle echoed outside the walls, but they seemed to have no effect on him.

Miaoyin's lithe figure landed silently in the courtyard. Seeing the dense array of talismans, she frowned slightly and asked, "Senior brother, what are you doing now?"

Chen Daozi, fiddling with the talismans before him, muttered, "Nothing. I just checked, and someone in the Ji family actually broke my Nine-Turned Formation. I want to see who they are."

Miaoyin was stunned, somewhat incredulous, and asked, "Senior brother, you mean someone actually managed to break your formation!"

“It’s not that I’ve revealed it,” Chen Daozi shook his head, his expression serious. “It’s just that there are some highly skilled individuals who managed to lock away several birth dates and times while I was opening the prison gates, using a clever deception to evade the evil spirits’ pursuit. Now I need to see who they are!”

Upon hearing this, Miaoyin immediately asked earnestly, “Senior brother, is there anything I can help you with?”

Chen Daozi remained silent, writing four paper talismans and placing them in clear water. The still-damp ink did not dissolve, remaining perfectly clear. He then said solemnly, “The Ji family wasn’t in the mansion. They had already escaped while I was performing the ritual!”

“Ah!” Miaoyin exclaimed in shock, “Someone actually managed to escape from the prison gates?”

“No!” Chen Daozi shook his head. “They escaped while I was trapping the Ji family with the Nine-Turned Formation. At that time, I was focused on opening the prison gates and didn’t pay attention. When the time came to open the gates, not only them, but even I had no chance of escaping!”

"What do you mean?" Miaoyin pondered for a moment, then asked in surprise, "Someone escaped while you were setting up the Nine-Turned Formation?"

"I was careless!" Chen Daozi sighed in shame.

Seeing his dejected state, Miaoyin quickly comforted him, "Senior brother, there's no need to be like this. Few in the world can compare to your Taoist magic. This time, it was just their luck. Don't blame yourself too much!"

Chen Daozi still shook his head dejectedly, then suddenly his face turned cold: "Junior sister, do me a favor."

"What is it?" Seeing the sudden ruthlessness on his face, Miaoyin's heart skipped a beat.

Chen Daozi drew talismans while saying expressionlessly, "Help me capture one boy and one girl."

"Senior brother, what are you going to do?" Miaoyin was startled. Capturing boys and girls under such circumstances was obviously not a good thing; Chen Daozi was probably going to use evil magic again.

Chen Daozi's face darkened, and he stopped talking to her, continuing to draw talismans and fiddling with tortoise shell-like magical implements.

Miaoyin hesitated for a long time before gritting her teeth and going out. When she returned, she had two unconscious children in her arms.

"Junior sister, don't blame yourself!" Chen Daozi comforted her as he placed the two children on the altar. "What they owe in this life, I will perform a ritual to secure a blessed life for them in the next. The capital is a place of trouble; even if they grow up, they may not necessarily be happy."

"Senior brother!" Miaoyin said timidly, "I have never seen you so angry. Junior brother has not spent much time with us; why do you have to become a villain for his sake!"

Chen Daozi stopped and sighed. "Junior sister, you are too short-sighted. All that has been passed down from Guigu Valley to you is brute force. The way of Guigu Valley is about all living beings. Junior brother has the destiny of a true dragon. If he really dies, can you imagine the chaos that will ensue? How many people will be killed because of this turmoil!"

Miaoyin was speechless.

Chen Daozi continued, "If something truly happens to my junior brother, the Ming imperial family will be without an heir. The current emperor will surely be enraged and fight Ji Long to the death! And Ji Long, for his own selfish reasons, will definitely launch a major uprising. Once war breaks out, it will be the people of the world who suffer. Therefore, my junior brother must not die under any circumstances. If he dies, how many innocent people will be implicated?"

Miaoyin sighed deeply, "Perhaps you are right. The world has just achieved peace. If it is plunged into war again, it will be the people who suffer."

Chen Daozi said no more. He turned away, his face full of guilt, but his expression immediately turned cold. He slit the throats of the two boys, drawing their blood while muttering, "You were captured because of your bad luck. After I finish this ritual, I will pray for a carefree afterlife for you. Rest in peace."

Although Miaoyin had killed countless people in the past, she couldn't bear to see the two boys lose their lives like this. She closed her eyes and sighed deeply.

He poured fresh blood onto a bell, clasped his hands together, and began chanting an incantation. After a moment, his expression turned cold, and he shouted, "Break!"

The bell suddenly shattered, turning into scattered iron pieces, from which a small wisp of bright red blood light spread.

Meanwhile, in a carriage heading towards Tianjin, Ji Long, still shaken, gratefully thanked a man with an air of otherworldly wisdom: "Thank you for saving me, Immortal Master. If it weren't for you, I would probably be nothing but bones. When I reach Tianjin and rise to the throne, I will surely honor you as my National Preceptor!"

The man smiled somewhat worldly, proudly touching the Bagua mirror beside him.

"Summon the ghosts to take our lives!" Chen Daozi shouted again, placing the corpses of the two children on the table. After bowing respectfully, he scattered raw rice around them.

Two extremely shrill, yet childlike screams echoed through the sky. Miao Yin felt as if her vision was blurred, as if she saw two figures rapidly disappear into the air.

At this moment, the man in the carriage suddenly turned pale, his lips trembling slightly.

"Immortal Master!" Ji Long asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

The man suddenly looked pained, chanting incantations as he cried out in agony, "A powerful being is casting a spell, intending to take my life from a thousand miles away!"

"Ah, what should we do!" Ji Long was immediately alarmed.

"It's alright!" The man somewhat reluctantly took out a willow branch, burned a few talismans, and his complexion improved considerably. He then quickly stepped out of the carriage, knelt on the ground, and placed four flags around himself, setting up a life-saving formation.

Everyone looked at him with grim expressions, but a hint of murderous intent flashed in Ji Long's eyes.

"Still dare to resist!" Chen Daozi saw the large bowl buzzing and angrily shouted, biting his finger and adding a drop of blood to the bowl. The blood darkened, and the clear water in the bowl instantly turned bright red, boiling like fresh blood.

The man's face grew increasingly pale, his body drenched in cold sweat, trembling violently. Suddenly, all the surrounding flags snapped inexplicably. He screamed in agony, then his entire body began to swell violently, howling hysterically as he grew larger and larger, as if inflated by air.

Ji Long and his group watched in shock as he screamed in pain. Suddenly, the man's skin split open, gushing blood. With a piercing scream, his body exploded into a cloud of blood mist, scattering blood and chunks of flesh everywhere.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Ji Long quickly ordered everyone to mount their horses, abandoning his mangled corpse, and flee towards Tianjin. Everyone was terrified by this bizarre scene, their souls reeling, cold sweat pouring down their backs.

After finishing the ritual, Chen Daozi sighed deeply, saying with some disappointment, "Alas, without Ji Long's birth date and time, I ultimately couldn't kill him."

Miao Yin felt a chill run down her spine, but still stepped forward with concern, saying, "Senior brother, you've had a long day, you should rest early."

"Yes!" Chen Daozi nodded weakly, asking listlessly, "Junior sister, do you think what I did was cruel?"

"No!" Miao Yin looked at the two child corpses and shook her head somewhat reluctantly.

Supported by her, Chen Daozi walked into the house, sighing as he went, "It's not that I'm heartless, but they weren't born lucky to be found. Junior brother has already accumulated merit through the refugee crisis. Some things are preordained. Although these two children are dead, they will be reborn into a good family."

Miao Yin nodded somewhat fearfully. Having witnessed Chen Daozi's near-mad rage and bizarre, terrifying evil methods, Miaoyin realized that, given the right conditions, Chen Daozi could be terrifyingly frightening, even to the point that she, with her saintly power, felt chills to the bone.

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