Chapter 488: 妖族

Among the crowd was a beautiful woman in an ice-blue long dress, her long hair flowing and her features as exquisite as a painting. It was none other than Chu Chuyan. Just moments before, the sheer number of people and the glinting armor everywhere had prevented anyone from noticing her.

Zheng Dan, who stood nearby, secretly sighed at Chu Chuyan's unparalleled beauty. No wonder Ah Zu had willingly walked into a trap for the Chu family. But then, on second thought, Ah Zu had also willingly surrendered to the Demonic Cult to save her, and had protected her with his life on several occasions. A gentle smile touched her lips.

Sang Qian gazed blankly at the woman in the long dress, thinking to herself that rumors of her stunning beauty had indeed spread throughout the capital's social circles. Seeing her today, she was truly a beauty capable of captivating kingdoms. No wonder so many young noblemen in the capital were enthralled by her; even her brother seemed to have had a strong liking for her back then. A pang of sorrow struck her at the thought of her brother's tragic condition, and her eyes welled up with tears.

“Chuyan, why are you with them?” Pei Mianman asked, looking at her with curiosity.

Chu Chuyan dismounted from her horse and came to Pei Mianman's side. “I heard about the Chu family’s trouble while I was in the capital, so I rushed towards Brightmoon City,” she explained. “Then I heard about Zuan. By chance, I encountered Commander Zhuxie leading his men this way, so I joined them. They have more comprehensive information, making it easier to find Zuan.”

“I see,” Pei Mianman replied, though she knew that Commander Zhuxie Chixin's identity was mysterious. Had it not been for Chu Chuyan's excellent reputation in the capital over the years, an ordinary person seeking his help would surely have been ignored.

“What about you? Why are you here?” Chu Chuyan asked, blinking her eyes with curiosity.

“I...” Pei Mianman was about to answer but suddenly found herself speechless. How should she reply?

“Are you here to save Zuan?” Chu Chuyan seemed to guess her thoughts, asking with a slight smile.

Pei Mianman hummed in acknowledgment, feeling a little guilty. “We’re good friends,” she explained, “and you weren't in Brightmoon City when this happened, so naturally, I couldn't just stand by.”

“Manman, thank you so much,” Chu Chuyan said, deeply moved, as she couldn't help but take her hand. Her emotions had been like a roller coaster these past few days, and she had no one to confide in. Knowing that a close friend was going to such lengths for her sake filled her heart with immense warmth at that moment.

“Chuyan, you’re too kind. This is what I should do,” Pei Mianman replied, feeling increasingly awkward as she spoke. She thought to herself, ‘I’m doing a good deed, why am I feeling so guilty?’ Besides, the Chu family had clearly already issued a divorce decree; they were no longer husband and wife. Why was she acting like a mistress meeting the legitimate wife? It was infuriating! She was filled with regret, but it seemed too late to change her words now.

Just then, the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard spoke up. “Lord Sang, have you escaped from prison? I’m surprised that Lord Sang, usually so loyal, would dare to commit such a rebellious act now.” His voice was as chilling as his appearance, sending a shiver of dread through anyone who heard it.

Sang Hong replied in a deep voice, “To Commander Zhuxie, we did not escape. First, the rebel army attacked the convoy, and then the dark elves and members of the Demonic Cult launched an assault. Our guards all fell in battle. Commander Huang Huihong, to prevent us from falling into the hands of the bandits, unbound us and allowed us to leave before he died.”

“Huang Huihong is dead?” Zhuxie Chixin’s eyes narrowed, his emotions unreadable.

“Indeed,” Sang Hong replied, starting to cough. At this point, Sang Qian, who was beside him, roughly explained the circumstances.

“Ding Run, the ‘Money-Adding Layman’... good, very good,” Zhuxie Chixin sneered repeatedly. Everyone expected him to speak of future vengeance for Huang Huihong. Instead, he turned to the Embroidered Uniform Guards beside him and declared, “Did you hear that? Huang Huihong’s skills were subpar, which is why he was killed so easily. If you want to live long, then practice, practice, and practice every single day!”

Zheng Dan and the other women were secretly alarmed by his callousness. Were all Embroidered Uniform Guards truly this cold-hearted?

“Yes!” the Embroidered Uniform Guards replied, men of few words. After their single affirmative, there was no further sound, as if matters of life and death were commonplace to them.

Zhuxie Chixin nodded with satisfaction. Suddenly, he turned and stared at Pei Mianman. “Are you that illegitimate young lady from the Pei family?” he asked.

Pei Mianman felt annoyed but couldn’t show it. She could only reply, “Yes, this humble commoner is Pei Mianman.”

“From what you’re saying, you want to save Zuan. So, are you here to break him out of prison?” Zhuxie Chixin stared coldly at her.

Under his gaze, Pei Mianman felt as though she had plunged into an ice cellar, unable to muster any thought of resistance and even losing the ability to form coherent words.

Chu Chuyan, who was nearby, quickly interjected, “Commander Zhuxie, I misspoke just now. She is my friend, and she came to help me protect Zuan because she knew various factions were plotting against him.”

Zhuxie Chixin simply uttered an noncommittal “Oh,” and only after a long moment did he shift his gaze away. No longer enveloped by his gaze, Pei Mianman immediately felt a significant easing of tension. She was secretly shocked, realizing that while rumors spoke of Zhuxie Chixin’s unfathomable cultivation, he now seemed even more powerful than suggested.

At this moment, Zhuxie Chixin looked at Sang Qian. “And what about Miss Sang?” he asked. “Are you here to break out your father and brother?”

Sang Qian experienced the same unsettling feeling as Pei Mianman had just moments before. Sang Hong quickly spoke for her: “My daughter heard that someone might be plotting against us and was concerned for our safety, which is why she came to look after us. She would never dare to entertain the thought of breaking out prisoners.”

“From Lord Sang’s words,” Zhuxie Chixin snorted, “it seems Miss Sang doesn’t trust the court to protect its imperial prisoners, does she?”

Sang Qian grumbled internally, *They didn’t protect them well in the first place!* But, of course, she dared not voice this. Instead, she said, “I naturally trust the court. I was simply worried about my father and brother, so I came to check on them.”

“Very well, considering your filial piety, I won’t pursue this matter,” Zhuxie Chixin said, looking coldly at Sang Hong. “Lord Sang, will you come with us willingly now, or shall we resort to force?”

Sang Hong’s face paled. He quickly bowed and replied, “I wouldn’t dare trouble Commander Zhuxie to use force. I will surrender myself. However, before that, I hope you will permit me to first avenge my son.” He knew very well that not only was he severely injured, but even at his peak, he would be no match for his opponent. Naturally, he had no thoughts of resistance.

“Sang Qian? What happened to him?” Zhuxie Chixin asked, a little surprised, having not noticed his presence.

Sang Hong looked at the desiccated corpse on the ground with a sorrowful expression. “My son was murdered, and his death was tragic,” he said. “Unfortunately, I don’t even know who the killer is.”

Zhuxie Chixin now noticed the corpse in the grass. His pupils constricted. He quickly dismounted from his horse, squatted beside it, and examined it thoroughly. Finally, his voice grew grave as he stated, “This was done by a member of the Blood Clan.”

“The Blood Clan?” Sang Hong was initially stunned, then reacted. “Haven’t members of the Blood Clan been defeated and disappeared for hundreds of years?”

Zhuxie Chixin examined the wound on the neck, saying in a deep voice, “It seems the Demon Emperor is unwilling to accept defeat. He’s setting his sights on the Central Plains once more.”

The women nearby all paled. As talented students from various academies, they naturally knew the relevant history. In ancient times, humanity fought a great war against the 'other races,' which were, in essence, the Demon Race. To ordinary people, the current Demonic Tribe, Elves, Dark Elves, Beast Tribe, and even Dragons are all collectively referred to as the Demon Race. However, cultivators from prominent families knew clearly that these races were distinct from the pure Demon Race. The Demon Race was simply the most powerful, and these other races had all revered the Demon Emperor as their sovereign in ancient times.

Between heaven and earth, all living beings—animals, plants, and so on—could potentially cultivate to become demons. Even some non-living entities, if the opportunity arose, could cultivate into demons and transform into human forms. Naturally, these were all cases of 'acquired' demonhood, and the conditions for cultivating into a demon were exceedingly strict. There was also a portion of 'innate' demons who did not require cultivation; the power in their bloodline granted them human-like bodies from birth. The Blood Clan was a peculiar branch within the Demon Race, born to feed on blood. Their original forms varied greatly, including bats, leeches, mosquitoes, and lampreys. Even other great demons within the Demon Race were extremely wary of them.