Chapter 241: Killing Through the Ghost City

The night sky was inky, and the silver disc of the moon was half-obscured.

The human-faced beast roared towards the heavens, ice-like blood scabs congealing in its mane. Wherever its scarlet snake eyes swept, blue tiles and white walls crumbled with a crash. Rocks surged from underground, and even a hundred-year-old pagoda tree was violently uprooted, its roots and soil slamming towards the diplomatic compound.

As its ten-foot-tall body sprang into the air, the moon behind it blurred into a halo of light. The scales on its tiger body and snake tail gleamed with a cold, bluish-black sheen, each the size of a millstone with serrated spikes pointing backwards, as it charged towards the Southern Jin delegation’s courtyard.

“How dare you, beast!”

Just then, a thunderous shout erupted, and the copper bells on the eaves shattered in response.

A towering middle-aged man stood on the high, flying eaves. He wore heavy black armor, and his bronzed arms, corded with muscles like gnarled roots, were visible at the armor's joints. As he stomped on the tiles and leaped down, the qi and blood within him roared like a rushing river. In his hand was a long spear as thick as a bowl, which he slammed towards the human-faced beast. A massive spear imprint materialized in the air and swiftly descended. The moment the spear imprint coalesced, the air rang with the clash of metal.

The human-faced beast, still in mid-air, extended a massive tiger claw to strike. The claw abruptly expanded by three feet, and in the gaps of its scales, black demonic mist spewed forth. Its five sharp claws were like soul-reaping blades forged from fine iron, and the tips of its nails dripped with black blood that corroded all things.

As its claws struck, the demonic mist and spear imprint violently collided. A blinding flash of light exploded in mid-air, followed by a deafening roar. The void twisted fiercely, and layers of visible energy ripples spread outwards from the point of impact.

In an instant, the heavy-armored man was flung backward as if struck by a mountain, carving five deep grooves into the wall. Several scales on his armor were torn off, and the long spear in his hand vibrated wildly with a buzzing sound, nearly slipping from his grasp.

However, the human-faced beast gained little advantage. Its massive body instantly lost balance from the impact, toppling to the ground like a collapsing hill. The ground, under the tremendous force, caved in with a crash, forming a colossal crater as surrounding earth and rocks were blasted outwards.

“Roar…”

The beast’s terrifying human face contorted in rage, letting out a roar. Its claws slammed into the ground, instantly cracking it in several places.

The man in heavy armor with the long spear was Lu Changyun, the Left General of the Imperial City Guard. He was widely recognized as the second-highest master in the Guard, surpassed only by the Right General, a true battle-hardened expert forged through countless trials on the battlefield.

As the Emperor’s personal army, the Imperial City Guard was a truly elite force, boasting many battle-proven masters. However, similar to the Night Division, while many possessed Grandmaster-level skill, they did not carry the title of Grandmaster.

Relatively speaking, the Imperial City Guard was harder to evaluate than the Night Division. While the Night Division’s experts largely employed conventional martial arts, most Imperial City Guard masters specialized in direct, brutal combat techniques suited for open battlefields, where they held a significant advantage. In a city with more cover, the advantage of martial arts experts was more pronounced.

However, Gu Mo had heard from Ye Jinglan that Lu Changyun’s hard qigong was exceptionally formidable. Even Ye Jinglan, a martial arts expert known for his preference for direct confrontation in the martial world, could only utilize environmental advantages and employ certain martial arts techniques when sparring with Lu Changyun, not daring to directly clash with him.

“Form up!”

Immediately after Lu Changyun and the human-faced beast clashed, he issued a command. Instantly, a troop of over a hundred elite Imperial City Guard soldiers rushed to the compound where the Southern Jin delegation was staying. Wielding shields and long spears, they formed a small battle array, blocking the entrance. A faint battle aura permeated the air, preventing the human-faced beast from charging into the residence.

After all, this was within the Honglu Temple, surrounded by buildings, and the number of Imperial City Guard soldiers was limited. It was impossible to suppress the human-faced beast solely by forming a military array and using battle aura.

It would have some influence, but it was limited, much like the battle aura generated by the Linhai County garrison when Gu Mo confronted the Grand Steward in Yanluo County. Useful, but very limited. After all, this was not a large army on a battlefield, and the human-faced beast was also mobile. Therefore, the battle aura here could only be used in conjunction with specially made shields to form a defensive barrier against the beast’s charge.

In a flash, over a hundred shields formed a massive iron wall.

The human-faced beast roared, ready to charge, but Lu Changyun would naturally not stand by. He swiftly charged forward with his spear.

With a thunderous crash,

The earth-shattering sound shook the ground. The human-faced beast, carrying a foul, bloody stench, slammed violently into the shield iron wall. Over a dozen shield guards were instantly sent flying like broken kites. However, the soldiers behind them, well-trained, immediately filled the gaps. The clang of shields colliding rang out in a continuous cascade, firmly blocking the beast’s assault outside the formation.

Just as the beast prepared to launch a second charge, a silver light streaked through the air.

Lu Changyun’s spear moved like lightning, aiming directly for the beast’s lantern-sized eyes. The beast sharply turned its head, and two tiger claws covered in backward-pointing barbs lashed out with lightning speed.

Lu Changyun hastily retracted his spear to parry. There was a crisp “crack,” and the tiger’s mouth of his hand was torn open. Blood beads gushing from the wound were instantly atomized into a bloody mist by the surging qi. As he knelt, the bluestones beneath his knee cracked three layers deep.

The beast’s scarlet, gaping maw immediately clamped down, a putrid stench assailing him. Saliva dripped between its sharp teeth, corroding the ground with a sizzling white smoke.

Just then, a cold light flashed, and a large saber flew like a meteor, heavily striking the beast’s tusks. Sparks showered, and amidst a deafening metallic clang, the saber bounced back, flying into Ye Jinglan’s hand.

The moment he grasped the saber hilt, his figure bizarrely vanished from its spot. All that remained between heaven and earth was a colossal saber shadow, imbued with piercing killing intent. The myriad saber shadows condensed into a blade light about an acre in size. Wherever the saber qi passed, the air was forcibly torn open, revealing deep purple void裂隙.

The beast roared furiously, sending Lu Changyun flying with a claw, then turned to face the saber shadow.

“Roar, roar…”

It opened its gaping maw, letting out several roars, and waves of materialized sound surged forth like raging tides, causing the void to vibrate wherever they passed.

The colossal saber and the sound waves violently collided, erupting in a deafening roar. Ye Jinglan’s figure reappeared. He gritted his teeth, thrusting the long saber into the sound waves, the blade slowly advancing inch by inch.

In that moment of stalemate, the beast’s scaled tiger tail suddenly grew several feet, sweeping across like a steel whip. Each scale gleamed with a chilling light, like countless sharp flying knives, threatening to tear Ye Jinglan to shreds.

Ye Jinglan’s pupils contracted sharply. He was about to retract his saber to parry—

“Ang!”

A dragon’s roar echoed through the night sky as Gu Mo’s figure descended from above.

He struck out with both palms, and two roaring fire dragons tore through the darkness, carrying an all-consuming heat. Stone on the ground instantly vaporized, and some trees immediately burst into flames with a soft ‘poof.’ The two fire dragons slammed into the beast.

The beast let out a piercing shriek of agony. Its massive body was sent flying backwards, stone bricks scattering wherever it passed, and a building collapsed with a crash, raising clouds of smoke and dust.

“Roar…”

In an instant, a foul wind surged from the ruins. The beast’s roar, erupting from its throat, made everyone’s eardrums ache. Broken stone bricks, mixed with snapped wood, were stirred by an invisible giant hand, forming a swirling storm of death in mid-air. The friction of the debris against the air produced a sharp shriek, and wherever it passed, city wall bricks crumbled and peeled away.

Immediately, Gu Mo gathered energy in his palms, ready to strike; Ye Jinglan raised his saber, preparing to meet the assault; and Lu Changyun charged directly with his spear.

However, the human-faced beast suddenly pulled back and turned, its tiger tail sweeping up clouds of smoke and dust for cover. Its massive body traced a bizarre arc in the air, then slammed into the artificial lake.

Water splashed several feet high on the lake surface, like a rising white mushroom cloud. The lake water was stained dark purple by the beast’s blood, and countless fish floated belly-up to the surface. The reeds by the lake instantly withered and turned black. The air was filled with a pungent, putrid stench, with only a vortex rapidly spinning in the center of the lake.

Gu Mo and the others could clearly sense that the human-faced beast had escaped to the bottom of the lake, clearly exceeding the artificial lake’s depth.

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, “What’s going on with this artificial lake? The human-faced beast came out of it, and now it’s escaping back down?”

Lu Changyun immediately ordered someone to bring a Honglu Temple official. The official, trembling, explained, “This Honglu Temple experienced a collapse forty years ago. There was a deep pit below it. Later, after inviting a geomancer to examine it, a lake was built here. For drainage convenience, that deep pit was left and connected to a drainage tunnel. Normally, that opening is sealed with a bronze door, and people are only sent to open it when the lake needs to be refilled!”

“Why didn’t you say so sooner!”

Lu Changyun’s expression was grim. Although nothing went seriously wrong today, the human-faced beast openly appeared to assassinate and then brazenly escaped in front of so many Imperial City Guard masters. He felt quite embarrassed.

Ye Jinglan looked at Gu Mo and whispered, “Brother Gu…”

“I’ll go after it!”

Gu Mo directly leaped in. He was eager for the system reward of the Heaven’s Will Four Symbols Art after slaying the human-faced beast.

As for the danger of pursuit…

Before successfully cultivating the Limitless Returning Qi, he might have hesitated. But now, if there was any danger, he could always resort to Universal Equality. Was there any danger in this world that one blast of Limitless Returning Qi couldn’t solve? If so, then two blasts!

“Too arrogant, too arrogant!”

Gu Mo suddenly recalled that morning, when he had been lecturing his younger sister not to be too arrogant. Yet, it turned out he was the truly arrogant one.

He used to mock those martial arts masters who, upon achieving great power, would immediately deem themselves invincible.

Reflecting on it, his current mindset was no different.

The moment Gu Mo entered the water,

Ye Jinglan, after a quick word to Left General Lu Changyun, also unhesitatingly jumped in. Following the vortex, they found the drainage opening at the bottom of the lake. After plunging in, they indeed saw a deep pit with a ten-foot-tall drainage tunnel in the middle.

They quickly flew through.

Ye Jinglan asked, “Brother Gu, I heard you have a Star-Pattern Tracing Scroll. Can it track that human-faced beast?”

Gu Mo nodded and said, “I was worried that beast would escape, so when I struck it earlier, I placed a star-pattern stone in its scales.”

Gu Mo wasn’t surprised that Ye Jinglan knew he possessed the Star-Pattern Tracing Scroll. He had openly taken it after the battle at Chunyang Temple in Cangzhou, and had used it again recently when dealing with the Grand Steward. Therefore, this information was not a secret.

As he spoke,

Gu Mo took out the tracing scroll. The needle spun wildly before finally stopping.

Ye Jinglan asked, puzzled, “Brother Gu, why is it pointing in two directions?”

“The other one is tracking Old Man Zheng,” Gu Mo said.

“That old guy is in trouble!”

Within the drainage tunnel, the two quickly pursued.

At Wanhualou, in the rear courtyard, in courtesan Su Qingyu’s small private courtyard.

As dawn subtly broke,

Su Ziyou opened his eyes and glanced at Su Qingyu sleeping beside him. He carefully removed her hand from his body, then tiptoed out of bed, donned his outer robe, and walked towards the door.

Upon reaching the doorway, he looked at the incense burner, slowly walked over, pulled a packet of white powder from his embrace, poured it in, and then left the room.

As the leading courtesan of Wanhualou, Su Qingyu’s treatment was naturally different from ordinary courtesans. She had her own private courtyard and several maids attending to her.

When Su Ziyou reached the corner of the courtyard, he looked left and right. Once he confirmed no one was present, he quietly entered the study on the east side.

This was Su Qingyu’s study, containing two rows of bookshelves, a Jiao Wei Qin, and some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Su Ziyou saw a framed piece of calligraphy on the table, which was the poem he had personally written and gifted to Su Qingyu a few days prior. It was with that poem and his calligraphy that he had gained the opportunity to become Su Qingyu’s honored guest.

In the following days, he had, in fact, not written any particularly good poems or verses, yet he was still allowed to stay in Su Qingyu’s room.

Although he was suspected of using public funds for brothel visits, he could swear to heaven that he was sacrificing himself for the sake of the investigation.

Through various clues and the dossiers he had reviewed from the Imperial City Guard, he was almost certain that Wanhualou had problems. After his investigation, all clues eventually pointed directly to the courtesan Su Qingyu. That was why he did not hesitate to “sell” his body and talent to get to know and sleep with Su Qingyu!

And after these few days of secret observation,

He surmised that there were clues in this study. So, he secretly placed tranquilizing and calming medicine in the incense burner, ensuring Su Qingyu slept deeply.

Looking at the calligraphy on the table, Su Ziyou sighed softly. Then, fumbling in the dark, he reached a corner of the wall and felt around for a while until he found a loose spot. He gently pressed it, and the wall suddenly parted, revealing a hidden passage.

Su Ziyou took a deep breath, quickly entered the secret passage, then fumbled around to find the closing mechanism and shut the door.

The passage was pitch black.

Su Ziyou took out a flint and steel, lit it, and quickly moved forward. Soon, he reached an open area. He looked around and saw oil lamps on the walls, which he hastily lit.

As he lit several oil lamps, the secret chamber became bright.

The first thing that caught his eye was dozens of spirit tablets.

Su Ziyou’s gaze swept across them, and when he saw the central tablet, his pupils constricted— “Spirit Tablet of Deceased Father Chen Yuanchang.”

He remembered the name Chen Yuanchang; he had seen it in the Imperial City Guard’s dossiers.

Seven years ago, shortly after the current Emperor ascended the throne, there was a rebellion case that implicated thirteen court officials, all from humble backgrounds. Among them was a third-rank General of the Cloud Banner, named Chen Yuanchang, whose entire family was executed. Thirty-two members of his family, none were spared.

Su Ziyou looked at the other spirit tablets next to Chen Yuanchang’s. The names were all ones he had seen in the dossiers.

He could now confirm that this Chen Yuanchang was indeed the General of the Cloud Banner whose entire family had been executed seven years ago.

Su Ziyou stared at the spirit altar for a moment, keenly noticing that one of the spirit tablets showed signs of frequent movement. He immediately picked up that tablet, finding an iron chain connected to its base. With a gentle pull,

The wooden board beneath the altar suddenly parted, revealing a large hidden compartment.

Su Ziyou held up an oil lamp to look. Inside, it was stacked with items wrapped in oiled paper. When he opened them, he found they were all Cloudmist Sandalwood.

At the bottom of this compartment, there was also a booklet. He quickly retrieved it and flipped through, finding it was an account ledger. Its contents shocked him to the core.

Because the ledger’s contents matched the ledger Ye Jinglan had previously brought back from Ghost City’s Ghost Wind Pass.

Immediately, a thousand thoughts raced through his mind, flickering but hard to grasp precisely. He quickly shoved the ledger into his embrace, ready to leave.

However, the moment he turned around, his entire body trembled abruptly, his soul nearly frightened out of him. For, behind him, unnoticed, stood a person—it was Su Qingyu, who should have been in a deep sleep.

Su Ziyou forced down his inner panic, feigning composure, and said, “Miss Qingyu, what a coincidence!”

Su Qingyu’s beautiful face was filled with resentment, her eyes misty with tears as she looked at Su Ziyou, saying, “My lord, are you truly so cruel, with no affection for Qingyu at all?”

Su Ziyou sighed deeply and said, “Miss Qingyu, if I had not been moved by your tenderness these past days, I would not be here alone today. Instead, I would have asked Middle Commander Ye Jinglan to protect me in secret.”

A hint of surprise flashed in Su Qingyu’s eyes, but it was fleeting. She said to Su Ziyou, “But, my lord, you still intend to kill me, don’t you? Actually, from the very beginning, I knew you were here to investigate me.”

Su Ziyou asked, puzzled, “Then why?”

Su Qingyu sighed, “My original intention was to pretend I didn’t know you were investigating me, and then secretly deal with you. But… that day, when we first talked, I… I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I never imagined there would be a man like you in this world. Your talent, your conversation, your insights, and your respect for women – they all captivated me! These past few days, I’ve enjoyed your company daily. I always thought in my heart, if, if you were willing, it would be wonderful to become your concubine in your residence. I knew you were investigating in secret, but I always held onto a glimmer of hope that you would fall for me, that you would abandon your investigation. But… it was ultimately just my wishful thinking.”

Su Ziyou slightly shook his head and said, “I truly did consider buying your freedom. However, I knew you were entangled in the affairs of the Four Seas Guild and Ghost City, and I worried if there was any turning back for you. So, despite knowing there were clues here, I chose to come alone, risking it, hoping that if you weren’t too deeply involved, I would use my position to quietly erase your tracks, and later find an opportunity for you to start anew, to live a life of harmony. If you could bear me a child, they would surely take after you, growing up just as beautiful.”

As he spoke, Su Ziyou’s eyes reddened slightly. Holding up the ledger, he said, “Miss Qingyu, tell me, is there still a possibility for you to turn back?”

Su Qingyu’s body trembled slightly, and she bit her lip. She no longer dared to look into Su Ziyou’s eyes, dared not meet his gaze filled with expectation.

“My lord,” after a long while, Su Qingyu finally said, “I… I can’t turn back. You must have already guessed my identity, and with your intelligence, you must also know what we are doing.”

Su Ziyou said slowly, “I was wondering earlier why Shang Wujiu, a ruthless evil master, would willingly disfigure himself just to be a simple qin master by your side. I never doubt love, but I don’t believe such an evil person as Shang Wujiu could have such pure love. Then, a second doubt arose. Cui Pan Official of Ghost City, as the Four Seas Guild’s enforcer, couldn’t sell genuine Cloudmist Sandalwood, and all genuine Cloudmist Sandalwood on the market is recorded. What was the point of him brewing genuine Cloudmist Sandalwood? If it was for his own use, he could easily obtain or purchase it from the Four Seas Guild. Brewing it himself would too easily expose his relationship with the Four Seas Guild, and the Four Seas Guild wouldn’t allow him to do so. Yet, the Four Seas Guild even let him obtain the genuine formula. This was very strange.”

At this point,

Su Ziyou pointed to the Cloudmist Sandalwood beneath the altar and said, “Only just now did I realize that the genuine Cloudmist Sandalwood brewed by Cui Pan Official never circulated on the market; it had another purpose. The Cloudmist Sandalwood here is likely the same as what was used when County Lieutenant Song Zichu was murdered recently—it’s been laced with something. For example, the Cloudmist Sandalwood that killed Song Zichu had ‘Forgotten River Mandrake flower powder’ added. That means other things can also be added, such as mind-altering drugs. With the Four Seas Guild’s Cloudmist Sandalwood as cover, even if someone suspected and investigated, they wouldn’t find any issues. Because the Four Seas Guild’s Cloudmist Sandalwood is authentic, and there’s no genuine Cloudmist Sandalwood on the market other than theirs. Your Wanhualou overtly purchases genuine Cloudmist Sandalwood from the Four Seas Guild, but secretly uses the adulterated Cloudmist Sandalwood provided by Cui Pan Official. Then, combined with your methods, you’ve controlled many people—such as the ‘Bloody-Handed Qin Master’ Shang Wujiu, and several suddenly disloyal officials responsible for His Majesty’s Imperial Treasury finances. They weren’t betraying His Majesty; they were being controlled by you. Am I right?”

Su Qingyu nodded slightly.

Su Ziyou took a deep breath and said, “I now suspect that my feelings of affection and love for you were also controlled in the same way.”

“No, no, absolutely not,” Su Qingyu hastily said. “I did have that intention at first, to control you with Cloudmist Sandalwood, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I wanted your true love!”

Su Ziyou exhaled slowly, saying, “Qingyu, turn back. There’s a chance, there must be a chance.”

Su Qingyu shook her head and said, “I can’t turn back.” She pointed to the spirit tablets. “You know my identity now, and you know the truth about Cloudmist Sandalwood. My lord, do you truly not know what we are doing now?”

Su Ziyou said solemnly, “When Ghost City moved, we all thought it was aimed at the Four Nations Trade Treaty Conference. However, before that, I had a doubt: why didn’t Empress Dowager Yan disrupt the agreement at the conference itself? If it was to reap the benefits later, the risk was clearly huge. If she succeeded, the Imperial Treasury would just be a little richer, a mere icing on the cake for her. But if she failed, she’d completely lose her last leverage over His Majesty. The struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Emperor would be definitively decided, and that risk is too great! And as I investigated the Ghost City disturbance, I found this time’s activity was very, very significant. I suspected Empress Dowager Yan might be planning a coup, but I dismissed that thought almost immediately. After all, Empress Dowager Yan might not understand military matters, but her subordinates surely do. Martial artists facing an army—the more people, the more meaningless they become, turning into a disorganized mob; it’s impossible to stage a coup with martial artists.”

As he spoke, Su Ziyou pointed to the spirit tablets and said, “Until I saw this, I suddenly understood: a coup is possible. Because there are many descendants of meritorious commoner officials, like you, who were deceived by Empress Dowager Yan. If they integrate the private armies left by those meritorious officials back then, they possess the power for a surprise coup. And Ghost City is perfect for hiding those private armies. Over so many years, discreet preparations would be enough for the equipment an army needs, and with Ghost City’s convenience, they could directly appear in the capital. Furthermore, with years of laying groundwork using Cloudmist Sandalwood, the Imperial City Guard has probably been infiltrated. But they haven’t made a move yet. Once the time is right, using the hidden means of Cloudmist Sandalwood, while it won’t make the Imperial City Guard army defect, it can greatly create chaos and paralyze the Imperial City Guard’s combat effectiveness. This time, using the Four Nations Trade Treaty Conference as a cover, everyone thought it was still about contending for control over the Imperial Treasury’s finances, but Empress Dowager Yan was already preparing a coup. With careful planning against an unsuspecting opponent, His Majesty is in danger!”

Su Qingyu said coldly, “The dog emperor deserves to die! My father and his comrades served the late emperor diligently, combating the aristocratic clans and stabilizing the empire. If not for their desperate struggle, how could this dog emperor enjoy his present success? Yet, to appease the aristocratic clans, he discarded them after use, betrayed them, and attacked commoner officials. My pitiful father, loyal to the emperor, ended up with his entire family executed. The dog emperor deserves to die!”

Su Ziyou was aghast. “There’s such a hidden truth? I saw records of your father in the Imperial City Guard files, wasn’t he said to be involved in a rebellion?”

Su Qingyu, filled with grief, said, “It was just the dog emperor discarding us after use. My father was unjustly killed. He was utterly loyal to the emperor, grateful for the late emperor’s great kindness; how could he possibly have harbored rebellious thoughts? If not for the Empress Dowager’s secret help back then, how could we, the descendants of those commoner officials, have had a path to survival? When my father and his peers first rose to power, they received Empress Dowager Yan’s care, and it was again thanks to her that a semblance of our family line survived. But that dog emperor kept trying to wipe us out!”

“This… this…”

Su Ziyou felt as if struck by lightning, staggering backward, leaning on the spirit tablet. He murmured, “How could His Majesty be such a person… impossible… how could it be…”

Su Qingyu looked at Su Ziyou’s expression, knowing his faith had shattered, and said with great pain, “My lord, I’m sorry!”

“Kill me!” Su Ziyou said, devoid of life. “I, Su Ziyou, have read the sacred texts and dedicated myself to serving the nation and being loyal to the emperor. But the emperor is this kind of emperor. What’s the point of all my studies? What’s the point of living?”

Su Qingyu looked at Su Ziyou, slumped on the ground, and a short sword appeared in her hand. She said softly, “My lord, I’m sorry, I truly don’t want to kill you, but I cannot make any mistakes. This information absolutely cannot be leaked. So many lives are at stake; I cannot gamble with them. I’m sorry, after… after today, I will come to join you…”

Su Qingyu walked towards Su Ziyou, looking at his lifeless face. She sighed softly and said, “Wait for me… we’ll share a grave after death…”

In that very instant,

A sudden change occurred.

Su Ziyou’s hand, which had been hanging behind him, suddenly extended forward. In his hand was a long, tea-cup-sized box. In that moment, the box’s hidden patterns flared to life, and hundreds of poisoned, bone-piercing nails shot out, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound. Each flying needle glowed with a faint blue light, weaving a suffocating net of death in the air.

Su Qingyu’s pupils contracted sharply. The soft sword at her waist moved like a spirit snake emerging from its hole, creating nine layers of sword curtain with successive flashes of cold light. The clash of blade against needles produced a dense metallic clang, and sparks flew like scattered fireflies. She pivoted rapidly in mid-air on the tips of her toes, her robes fluttering as sword qi crisscrossed, deflecting most of the needles to the ground. Wherever she moved, bluestones cracked and wood chips flew. Even the bluestone ground three feet away was riddled with dense, honeycomb-like indentations from the impact.

However, in that same instant, Su Ziyou’s other hand held a bronze gourd, and toxic liquid burst from its mouth like a waterfall, splashing towards Su Qingyu.

Su Qingyu instinctively swung her sword, but the toxic liquid flowed past it and landed on her.

The moment the black toxin touched her skin, it corroded her flesh, revealing bone. Su Qingyu let out a heartbreaking shriek. The potent poison seeped through her pores into her muscles, and her skin rapidly festered and blackened before her eyes. Her body, unable to dodge, was further pierced by subsequent flying needles; over thirty bone-piercing nails embedded into vital spots, leaving grotesque dark red trails of blood in the air.

She staggered backward and fell, black blood mixed with shredded flesh gushing from her throat and splattering on the ground. Her convulsing fingers clawed five deeply-boned bloody streaks into the bluestone slab before finally collapsing limply. She looked at Su Ziyou, her mouth agape, toxic blood bubbling from it, and stammered, “You… you said… you loved me… was it… true…”

Su Ziyou’s hidden weapon box opened again, and a dense volley of bone-piercing nails struck Su Qingyu’s body. Her neck, face, and forehead were all perforated, and she instantly ceased breathing.

Su Ziyou let out a long sigh of relief. Looking at the corpse on the ground, he said, “Why would I spend money buying love, Miss Qingyu!”

In the labyrinthine tunnels of Ghost City,

Gu Mo, holding the tracing scroll, was swiftly pursuing the beast with Ye Jinglan.

In this underground Ghost City, the human-faced beast’s disadvantage was very apparent; its immense size severely restricted it. If it hadn’t been locked on by Gu Mo’s tracing scroll, it might have been able to escape due to the complex terrain of Ghost City. However, being locked by the tracing scroll gave it a feeling of having nowhere to hide.

“Huh!”

As they chased, Gu Mo suddenly exclaimed in surprise, “They’ve converged!”

“What’s converged?” Ye Jinglan asked.

“The human-faced beast and Old Man Zheng have converged. They’ve stopped, about three li away!” Gu Mo said.

“Waiting for us?” Ye Jinglan asked, surprised.

Soon, the two emerged from a tunnel. Ye Jinglan was astonished to find that below them was the first town they had reached when they descended into Ghost City previously—Chensha Ferry.

However, today Chensha Ferry was deadly silent. It was still brightly lit, but incredibly quiet. Aside from the occasional sound of quicksand flowing outside the town, there was almost no other sound.

Yet, Gu Mo could sense that there were many people inside the town at that moment, at least over a thousand.

“Brother Gu, is this a net waiting for us?”

“Probably!” Gu Mo said. “Both Old Man Zheng and the human-faced beast are inside. I wouldn’t believe it if they weren’t intentionally waiting for us.”

The two executed their light qigong, gliding over the quicksand and entering the town. The main road, over two zhang wide, was empty. On either side of the street, every ten or so paces, hung a tallow lantern, casting a dim, bean-like light. The side alleys were narrow and cramped, their walls covered in moss and water stains.

As they delved deeper,

A series of suona sounds suddenly drifted from ahead. Four men, with makeup like paper figures, appeared carrying a coffin. Behind them, four others played suonas, their music poignant and sorrowful.

The pallbearers, stepping with a peculiar nine-shallow, one-deep rhythm, approached and stopped at an alley entrance. The coffin lid slowly slid open, and a figure sat upright inside, entirely wrapped in burial shrouds from head to toe. Only a pair of eyes were visible, but within their sockets, eerie blue ghost fire flickered.

Ye Jinglan said, “Weeping Ghost, one of the Ten Evils. He specializes in illusion, likes to kill people for their bones, specifically spinal bones, claiming that the ghost fire cultivated from spinal bones is the most authentic. His overall strength ranks third among the Ten Evils, Grandmaster level.”

Gu Mo found information about Weeping Ghost in the system:

Wanted Target – Weeping GhostMission Level – Three StarsMission Reward – Abyss Rainbow Sword

The reward for Weeping Ghost’s mission was a relatively rare item reward: the Abyss Rainbow Sword, a divine weapon from “The Legend of Qin.” Its blade was crimson like blood, its edge as thin as a cicada’s wing, and its hilt wrapped in black silk cord. Its predecessor was ‘Broken Rainbow,’ forged by Master Xu, a Mohist sword smith, from an extraterrestrial meteor iron. After Jing Ke’s failed assassination attempt on the Qin King, it was reforged into Abyss Rainbow, its killing intent removed and power enhanced, making it extremely sharp.

Even in this world, it was considered one of the finest famous swords.

Ye Jinglan looked at Weeping Ghost and said, “You’re not planning to kill us two alone, are you?”

Weeping Ghost sat in the coffin, silent.

Just then, a stooped old man with sparse white hair emerged from a house. His face was covered in boils, and he wore a black robe, with sleeves and hems stained with various colored toxins. A pouch of poison hung at his waist, emitting a pungent odor, and a chilling aura emanated from him.

The stooped old man bowed to Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan, saying, “Little old man Bai Jiu, greetings to Grandmaster Gu and Master Ye!”

Ye Jinglan said, “Five of the Ten Evils are still alive. Old Man Zheng is here, Weeping Ghost has appeared, and now you, Old Ancestor Han Tan, Bai Jiu, have also shown yourselves. I suppose Old Scholar and Mad Sword must have come too?”

As Ye Jinglan’s words fell,

Two figures appeared on a rooftop. One was indeed Old Man Zheng, whom Gu Mo had almost beaten to death earlier. Beside Old Man Zheng was an old man in a green robe, holding a folding fan, wearing a square cap, and looking like an old scholar. This was Old Scholar, the oldest and longest-existing of the Ten Evils.

“Roar!”

Immediately after, a roar echoed, and the human-faced beast appeared, slowly walking out of a tall building. Each of its claws left a deep crater on the ground. Standing on the beast’s back was a very young-looking person. The person was in ragged clothes, with disheveled hair and a hideous scar on their face. They held a broken sword, its blade full of nicks, and their eyes were filled with killing intent. A soaring sword intent permeated their body, exerting strong pressure.

This person was Mad Sword, recognized as the most skilled and feared among the Ten Evils.

This person was a sword master, obsessed with the sword. However, due to this excessive obsession, he had fallen into madness. In previous years, he even went insane and indiscriminately killed people in the capital. Later, he was suppressed by the Night Division Grandmaster boatman, after which he hid in Ghost City and never reappeared. Yet, legends about him often circulated because he continued to indiscriminately kill the innocent in Ghost City.

Gu Mo reviewed the wanted information for each of them in the system:

Wanted Target – Old ScholarMission Level – Four StarsMission Reward – Max Level Sky-Beyond-the-Heavens Flying Immortal

Wanted Target – Old Ancestor Han TanMission Level – Four StarsMission Reward – Max Level Heavenly Water Divine Art

Wanted Target – Mad SwordMission Level – Five StarsMission Reward – Max Level Myriad Leaves Flying Flower Flow

“They’ve all come indeed,” Ye Jinglan twisted his neck and said, “Excellent, truly excellent. I’ve long had enough of Ghost City; today is the perfect opportunity to wipe them all out in one go!”

Old Scholar bowed and said, “Master Ye, forgive my bluntness, but as long as the capital stands, Ghost City cannot be eradicated. Even if you kill us, it won’t be long before a new batch emerges; it’s unavoidable. To be frank, we at least abide by some rules. If a new batch comes, they might not be as rule-abiding as us!”

Ye Jinglan scoffed, “If they don’t abide by rules, then we’ll replace them again!”

“How domineering,” Old Scholar bowed again, “Truly worthy of Saber Emperor Ye Jinglan. However, Master Ye, today, we do not wish to fight to the death with you. We simply wish to sit down and have a good talk with you and Grandmaster Gu. May we?”

“Are you worthy?” Ye Jinglan asked.

Old Scholar chuckled softly and clapped his hands.

The town suddenly erupted into chaos. From all directions, countless martial artists, armed with various weapons, swarmed out—at least a thousand of them, completely blocking off all sides of the town, making it impenetrable.

“You two are highly skilled, but with so many of us, plus the human-faced beast, do you believe you can kill us all before your true qi runs out…?”

Before Old Scholar could finish his sentence,

Gu Mo suddenly made his move. A flying knife shot directly towards Old Scholar. The three-inch flying knife streaked through the air like a meteor, carrying a cold light, aimed directly for Old Scholar’s throat.

Old Scholar’s bushy brows furrowed sharply. His hand, thin as dry wood, suddenly trembled, and the goat-hair brush in his grasp surprisingly transformed into an ink dragon, rising into the air. Dense ink splattered, condensing into a dark shield, while the brush bristles shot out like steel needles, weaving an impenetrable defensive net in the air.

The flying knife and the ink shield violently collided, and in an instant, ink mist splattered.

The flying knife suddenly erupted in a crimson blaze, flames surging across its surface.

Old Scholar’s eyes widened. In his sight, the originally three-inch cold blade had transformed into a ten-foot-long fiery wheel, as if a meteorite had descended from the sky. The intense heat warped the air, creating ripples.

Old Scholar’s pupils contracted sharply. Before he could change his move, the burning brush was swallowed by flames, and its charred handle exploded with a crash.

The scorching flying knife, imbued with immense force, pierced through the ink shield.

Blood mixed with sparks flew, and warm blood beads evaporated into mist in the fierce flames.

A faint, gasping whimper escaped Old Scholar’s throat. His withered fingers futilely clawed at the empty air, finally dropping weakly, overturning the still-wet ink and staining the bluestone slab with a strange, dark red.

In that very instant, a notification sound rang in Gu Mo’s mind:

Killed a four-star wanted criminal.Received a four-star reward – Max Level Sky-Beyond-the-Heavens Flying Immortal.Claim reward?

Gu Mo immediately clicked to claim it. In that moment, he instantly mastered the Sky-Beyond-the-Heavens Flying Immortal to its maximum level, gaining control of this legendary, perfect and flawless sword art, which was formed by gathering the divine essence of the Eight Immortals of the Upper Cave, as pure and unblemished as the clear sky and white clouds.

This technique, struck from a height, delivered a swift and magnificent downward sword blow. The sword light flew diagonally, like a dazzling flash of lightning, like a long rainbow across the sky, like a celestial immortal descending from the heavens.

With a thought, he claimed the max-level Sky-Beyond-the-Heavens Flying Immortal.

Gu Mo did not pause for a moment. He shouted:

“Brother Ye, what are you waiting for? Kill!”

Before his words finished,

Gu Mo crossed his hands, and the Six Meridian Divine Sword shot out as a sword array, tearing through the void and forming a sword-cage to envelop Weeping Ghost.

Weeping Ghost’s pallid, gaunt face twisted in the cold light of the sword array. His hunched back bent like a shrimp, and his hands, nails gleaming with a corpse-wax sheen, desperately dug into the coffin rim.

Gu Mo’s fingertips trembled, and the sword array poured down like the Milky Way, tearing through the night sky.

The four burly men carrying the coffin didn’t even have time to lower their shoulder poles before they were shredded into a bloody mist by the sword qi. Bits of flesh mixed with wood splinters splattered onto the bluestone, making a sizzling sound. The gilded coffin was even more fragile; twelve sword marks simultaneously ripped through the wood, and wood chips flew like falling snow.

However, there was no trace of Weeping Ghost in the coffin.

From the shattered coffin boards, myriad white cloths suddenly surged forth, like funeral banners pulled from the Yellow Springs. Each piece was soaked in a greenish-gray, corpse-oil-like substance, swirling in the air to form a gigantic net that obscured the sky.

In the blink of an eye, a ten-foot-tall white cloth cage trapped Gu Mo in its center. The embroidered skulls on the cloth grinned in the night wind, and dark red liquid oozed from their eye sockets, dripping onto the bottom of the cage, producing a sizzling sound like iron being burned.

“Kill!”

Old Ancestor Han Tan shrieked from the rooftop, his chicken-claw-like hands glowing with a pus-green toxic light. Wherever the toxic mist flung from his sleeves passed, the bluestone pavement foamed white.

Old Man Zheng, bare-chested, leaped from the left side of the roof. His turtle-shell gauntlets gleamed coldly in the moonlight. He crashed down like a toppling iron tower, the wind pressure he generated bending the two beams at the courtyard corner.

The human-faced beast smashed through the rockery and charged. Its three-zhang-tall tiger body was draped with faded red silk. The swollen human face on its tiger head suddenly split open, spitting putrid black blood that slammed onto the cage, causing the white cloth to emit green smoke.

Mad Sword, riding on the beast’s back, raised his broken sword. The human-skin sword tassel wrapped around the blade swayed without wind, and a greenish-gray sword intent, like a raging dragon emerging from the sea, directly tore open the top of the cage.

Over a dozen black figures lunged from all directions. Some flung poisoned short blades from their sleeves, others shot bone-piercing nails with a flick of their toes, and still others held three skull darts in each hand, forming a Big Dipper constellation in the air.

At the same time, dense metallic clanging sounds came from afar. Ye Jinglan was trapped in the center of a Fish-Dragon Formation formed by dozens of people. Every arc of light his long saber cleaved was met by three long swords attacking from tricky angles, forcing him to retreat seven steps, his boot soles scraping five trails of sparks on the bluestone.

Meanwhile, on Gu Mo’s side, the white cloth cage that had trapped him suddenly let out a piercing shriek, then exploded, sending cloth strips scattering.

Gu Mo’s figure emerged as if squeezed from the void, his innate true qi shimmering a pale silver around him, like a bright moon suddenly rising.

Old Ancestor Han Tan’s poisonous palm had barely touched the edge of the true qi shield when it exploded with a firecracker-like bang. He screamed and flew backward, the toxic glow from his palm oddly tinged silver by the true qi, instantly searing through his entire arm. Old Man Zheng’s turtle-shell gauntlet slammed against the true qi, producing a dull thud like a giant bell tolling. His iron-tower-like body was violently shaken three feet off the ground, and blood surged from his throat, splattering onto his gauntlet in crimson flecks.

The human-faced beast’s tiger claw struck the true qi, and the resulting air blast directly tore off half the roof of a wing room, sending tiles raining down like a storm. Mad Sword’s sword intent collided with the true qi, and his broken sword let out a groaning wail of protest. The human-skin sword tassel on his chest suddenly burst open, revealing dense runes underneath, but they too turned to dust under the impact of the true qi.

The dozen or so attacking experts all felt a stifling sensation in their chests, as if crushed by a massive boulder. Over ten people simultaneously spat blood, flying backward and crashing through the vermilion-painted wooden pillars of the veranda.

Immediately, the remaining enemies tacitly began to scatter and flee.

However, in that very instant,

Those experts, barely regaining their footing, suddenly found that the world before their eyes lost all its color. The bluestone became dead gray, the white cloth became stark white, and even Ye Jinglan’s saber light in the distance turned a monotonous silver-white.

More terrifyingly, their bodies seemed to be held by invisible shackles; they couldn’t even blink, and their breathing became stagnant.

This was the first time Gu Mo had used “Heaven and Earth Lose Color,” a martial art technique belonging to qi practitioners.

The effect was incredibly potent.

They could only watch, helplessly, as Gu Mo raised his hand and condensed a true qi longsword. The sword was initially as faint as a candlelight flame, but in an instant, it grew to ten feet, the starlight revolving around its tip illuminating half the night sky.

The moment the sword light descended, heaven and earth seemed to be paused.

Bloodlines simultaneously appeared on the necks of the dozen experts, thinner than hair but startlingly scarlet.

Old Ancestor Han Tan’s head was the first to fall, rolling three feet away, his eyes still wide open, and the still-wet poison saliva even clinging to the corner of his mouth. Old Man Zheng felt a chill on his neck. His fingers instinctively reached up, and warm blood immediately seeped from between them. He looked down at the blood in his palm, then suddenly realized his reflection on the bluestone was gradually blurring.

Weeping Ghost, still wrapped in white cloth, stood in the center of the street. The cloth strips on his body began to disintegrate, then bloodstains spread, and finally, with a “bang,” he exploded, torn into pieces.

Mad Sword exerted all his strength to hold his broken sword horizontally across his chest, but he was forcefully pushed back ten zhang by the sword light, collapsing half of the rockery. His entire body was nearly falling apart. The human-faced beast, its tusks severed, let out an unwilling roar, then crashed through the back wall, carrying Mad Sword, and fled out of the town.

The other experts fell like kites with broken strings, landing in the courtyard with successive thuds.

In that instant, three consecutive notification sounds rang in Gu Mo’s mind:

Killed a four-star wanted criminal.Received a four-star reward – Max Level Heavenly Water Divine Art.Claim reward?

Killed a three-star wanted criminal.Received a three-star reward – Abyss Rainbow Sword.Claim reward?

Killed a four-star wanted criminal.Received a four-star reward – Max Level Saddened Soul-Shattering Palm.Claim reward?

Gu Mo ignored the system prompts and pursued the human-faced beast.

At this moment,

On the other side, Ye Jinglan, who had just broken through the Fish-Dragon Formation with the Fourteen Blades of Heavenly Inquiry, his eyes filled with shock, secretly swallowed, and cursed, “If he doesn’t make it into the top ten in the world, I, Ye Jinglan, will take off my head and use it as a chamber pot!”

Immediately, Ye Jinglan wanted to chase after Gu Mo, but he was once again surrounded by a large group of experts who threw themselves at him without regard for their lives.