Chapter 1351: Finally Appearing

**Chapter 1337: Finally Revealed**

At a critical moment, several of his loyal retainers turned and charged toward He Lingchuan, attempting to buy more time for their master. These men possessed far superior combat skills than ordinary cavalrymen. Usually, Wuma Dan treated them with great courtesy within the manor, and now they fought with reckless abandon.

As he galloped frantically, he did not give up trying: "Ten times the price! I'll pay you ten times the price if you let me go. All the fertile land, beautiful houses, and inexhaustible gold and silver treasures will be yours!"

The black-armored leader's voice echoed eerily in his ear: "Zhao Guangzhi made the same promise just before he died."

Wuma Dan knew exactly who Zhao Guangzhi was. Hearing this, his heart instantly felt crushed by a giant boulder, making it hard for him to breathe. The one who killed Zhao Guangzhi was Emperor Jiuyou! So, the one pursuing him now was Emperor Jiuyou! Zhao Guangzhi's army was larger and his cultivation higher than his own, yet he had been cooked alive by the enemy. And now, this bringer of ill fortune had come for him!

Wuma Dan couldn't help but turn his head and shout, "There are countless villains in this world, many crueler and more wicked than me! Why don't you go after them? Why me?!"

The Soul Mirror in He Lingchuan's arms laughed aloud: "He finally realized, he believes it's you now."

"Don't rush," the black-armored leader said sinisterly. "None of you will escape!"

The distance between them was rapidly closing. The number of living individuals standing between him and Wuma Dan was also diminishing.

Fear pounding in his chest, Wuma Dan gazed at the North Courtyard gate. He suddenly slapped a talisman onto himself, mumbled a few words, and then cried out, "Shift!"

There were about thirty soldiers escorting Wuma Dan back to the North Courtyard, some near, some far. He Lingchuan and Dong Rui's eyes were fixed solely on Wuma Dan; they bothered little with the others. One of them was just ten paces from the North Courtyard gate. A few more steps and he would be inside.

The moment Wuma Dan finished shouting, the talisman on his chest emitted a blue light. Simultaneously, Dong Rui's peripheral vision caught another blue light, flickering on the soldier nearest the courtyard gate.

"Oh no, it's a Teleportation Talisman!"

In the next instant, Wuma Dan and the soldier swapped positions. The former was now at the North Courtyard entrance, while the latter found himself on horseback. This type of teleportation talisman could swap the positions of the two people it was affixed to, but it was difficult to refine and exceptionally expensive. Wuma Dan kept it as a trump card, usually placing it on his most trusted, loyal followers. He knew the black-armored leader's attention was focused on him, so he used this trick to substitute himself, allowing a confidant to rush towards the gate first. He Lingchuan and his four companions had already charged into the enemy ranks. How could they turn around so quickly?

Wuma Dan sprinted a few steps and entered the North Courtyard, shouting, "Close the gate! Activate the formation! Quick, quick!" Over thirty people were stationed in his North Courtyard. They weren't enough for an offensive charge, but they could hold out by closing the gate and defending the courtyard.

However, as Wuma Dan rushed into the courtyard, he didn't hear the sound of the gate closing mechanism—the large gate was extremely heavy and difficult for just one or two people to move. He looked back again, only to see two manor guards lying behind the gate, one prone, one supine. The supine man's eyes were wide and round, his mouth agape, his face filled with horror, but his chest was still. Both were dead.

What had happened? Wuma Dan's scalp prickled. When he led his team out of the North Courtyard just moments ago, everything here had been perfectly fine! Could it be that the black-armored army had split into two groups, with one specifically waiting here to seize his stronghold?

A sentry suddenly appeared in the nearby corner tower, pointing at Wuma Dan and shouting, "Behind the master!" Even without the warning, Wuma Dan felt a chill run down his spine, as if something terrifying was following him like a shadow, already right behind him! Without hesitation, he drew his saber with a backhand motion and swung it backward from under his ribs. However, something cold gripped his arm and twisted it forcefully!

Wuma Dan cried out in pain, spun around, and crouched down. When he looked up again, a face filled his entire vision!

"No! No..." He wanted to scream, but only a half-sound escaped his lips.

The black-armored knight killed Wuma's confidant, then turned and charged towards the North Courtyard, only to find the courtyard gate wide open, with no sign of it having been closed. Wuma Dan had clearly darted inside just moments before. Had something else happened inside?

He Lingchuan cracked his whip, spurred his horse, and galloped quickly into the North Courtyard. At first glance, there was nothing special, but with a quick look, he spotted something pale hidden behind a few sparse trees. Its full form was obscured by the branches and leaves. Disturbed by the sound of hooves, the creature dropped something and darted into a narrow alley behind it with incredible speed.

He Lingchuan spurred his horse closer to investigate and found Wuma Dan collapsed behind the tree, his eyes tightly shut and unconscious.

"Guard him!" he ordered his subordinate, then rushed into the alley to pursue the pale creature.

It must be said, Wuma Dan's North Courtyard was built both neatly and impressively. Not only were the paths paved with bricks, but the stones also extended up the walls, making every building appear exceptionally solid. He Lingchuan pursued for over ten zhang before abandoning his horse and continuing on foot, as the Soul Mirror indicated that the creature had jumped several walls and entered a residence. The buildings in the North Courtyard were interconnected. Passing through their halls and corridors offered protection from the summer sun, but now it posed a significant challenge to He Lingchuan's pursuit.

He immediately ordered Wan Qifeng and others who had just entered the North Courtyard: "Flank around, encircle this cluster of black-roofed buildings!" The other two assented, riding their horses around the perimeter of the building complex. Dong Rui, however, said, "Wuma Dan is dead, and it's the familiar way." It seemed that the pale creature was indeed the killer of Chen Fu'ang and the other five.

He Lingchuan multitasked, pursuing the white creature while also dividing his attention to listen to the real-time situation on the battlefield outside. The Scorpion Boa had just been hit by Dong Rui's hidden arrow, whose tip was coated with petrifying poison, causing its body to stiffen and gradually become immobile. Now, the other black-armored knights had dismounted and, under Wan Qiliang's command, were forming a battle array to fight the two demonic puppets. Dong Rui had previously pointed out that the Hinged-Tail Yellow Tiger had a weakness: a light head and heavy tail. The Porcupine Armadillo, on the other hand, was clumsy when turning and couldn't shoot its quills while rolling. The group seized upon these two weaknesses, advancing and retreating with precision, forming an organized encirclement, and fighting with increasing ease.

Just then, a long howl echoed from the west. Hearing the howl, the two monsters ceased fighting and turned to race towards the North Courtyard. These two creatures were incredibly fast, especially the Porcupine Armadillo when rolling; even the black-armored army didn't want to block its path. They could defeat it, but stopping it was difficult. The black-armored cavalrymen had no choice but to mount their horses and follow closely. Hearing this, He Lingchuan realized that these two demonic puppets must have received instructions to pursue the white creature in the North Courtyard.

The black-armored army was now effectively split into three groups. He Lingchuan, Wan Qifeng, and Wang Fubao formed one group, currently chasing the white creature. Wan Qiliang led another group, pursuing the two demonic puppets. Dong Rui, on his own, was riding the Snail Toad to track down another demonic puppet master.

Outside, there was a commotion, with Green Villa soldiers shouting, "The master is dead! The master was killed by the black-armored man!"

After scaling another high wall, He Lingchuan suddenly stopped— The Soul Mirror informed him that the target had been lost.

"How could it be lost?" The distance between him and the white creature had clearly been shrinking rapidly!

"After it went over this wall, it disappeared," the Soul Mirror replied plaintively. "I don't know where it went!"

This was a courtyard with three high walls, and the fourth side was a long corridor. In the center of the courtyard was an octagonal well. The well's opening was only four chi in diameter. He Lingchuan went to the well's edge and carefully peered inside, seeing the water rippling, about seven-tenths full. Right, water could block spiritual perception. The creature must have jumped into the well to escape his and the Soul Mirror's spiritual senses. Unexpectedly, tonight's capture would involve getting wet.

He Lingchuan sighed, took out a grappling hook, secured it to the well's edge, popped a tortoise pearl into his mouth, and then plunged into the well with a splash. He entered the water headfirst, feet down, with his arms crossed over his shoulders. The space at the bottom of the well was too small to wield a long saber, so he switched to a pair of short forks, preparing for any unforeseen circumstances. The well bottom was even darker in the night, with only a tiny bit of starlight filtering down from above. After descending four chi into the water, he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. He Lingchuan took out luminescent spores to illuminate his surroundings and saw that the well walls were also constructed from square bricks but were covered in moss. The well was about two zhang deep. In this small space, He Lingchuan didn't see the white creature.

The Soul Mirror reminded him again: "There's a hole at the bottom!" He continued to swim down and indeed saw an opening at the bottom of the well, large enough for one person to squeeze through. This well actually connected to other underground water systems? He Lingchuan hesitated for a moment, then used the mirror to scan the opening, ensuring there was no ambush on the other side before bending down and entering. Ahead lay rock strata. As he swam a few more zhang, the sound of water grew more turbulent and swift. Then, he saw a network of... fissures!

"This won't work," the Soul Mirror said angrily. "There are so many branching paths; who knows where that thing went!"

It was lost. There was no point in going further. Although disappointed, He Lingchuan had no choice but to return to the well and climb back to the surface using the grappling hook. The Eyeball Spider, which hadn't entered the water, waited for him on the well curb.

He Lingchuan climbed out of the narrow well opening, wiped the water from his face, and couldn't help but stretch his limbs. "Wan Qiliang, what's the situation?"

Wan Qiliang, who was tracking the two demonic puppets, immediately reported upon hearing the question: "They were almost at the North Courtyard gate when they suddenly stopped and spun around several times like headless flies. Just as we were about to surround them, they turned and ran west! We're now close behind, about three zhang from the rolling porcupine." They also dared not get too close; the porcupine's quills were wildly unpredictable. With poor visibility at night, it was difficult for anyone to dodge the flying quills.

"To the west?" He Lingchuan understood: "The white creature jumped into the water, and they can no longer sense it, so they're returning to find their master!"

At this point, Dong Rui interjected, "The demonic puppets spinning in place indicate that the person behind them is struggling with control. These things aren't very obedient." Hearing this, He Lingchuan recalled the few ghoulish beasts released by Xushan Heavenly Palace. They were powerful, but also seemed quite disobedient.

As he sprinted outward, he asked Dong Rui, "Have you spotted the person?"

"Just found them!"

Once the Bat Demonic Puppet located the target, it emitted a unique sound wave to its master, which only Dong Rui could receive.