Chapter 814: Twisted Soul

The person who entered had a cold, indifferent expression and gloomy eyes. It was surprisingly Pei You, who had been forced to leave earlier.

Even Bi Linglong was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected him to be the one to arrive.

"Didn't you run away? How dare you come back!" the Gu brothers exclaimed, both shocked and furious.

Pei You snorted, "Why wouldn't I dare to come back? Although you all claimed I was the murderer before, I knew I wasn't. Recalling that Zu An was also forced to leave earlier, I realized someone might be secretly targeting us. I knew that in such a situation, anything I said would be useless, so I decisively left and observed from the shadows. I was certain that since the mastermind had forced us out, they would make a move."

"Sure enough, I soon saw you two secretly sprinkling some powder into the bonfire."

Bi Linglong was somewhat displeased. "If that's the case," she asked, "why didn't you expose them on the spot?"

Pei You calmly replied, "Would you have believed me? They would have turned around and accused me, and I wouldn't have been able to explain myself, even if I had a hundred mouths. It was better to wait until their scheme was exposed before reappearing."

Gu Xing burst out laughing. "Pei You, Pei You, I never thought you'd be so cunning. But you miscalculated one crucial thing: you are only one person, and Linglong is injured. Even if she weren't injured, the two of you together would be no match for us brothers."

They were full brothers, and although they often couldn't stand each other, they had a deep understanding of one another. The power of their combined efforts could achieve more than the sum of their individual strengths.

"What if I join in?" Just then, another voice was heard.

The Gu brothers trembled and turned around in disbelief to look at the speaker. "How are you here?"

The man had a serious expression, firm eyes, and neatly combed hair. It was none other than Gao Ying of the Liu family.

"I was supposed to be knocked out, wasn't I?" Gao Ying sneered. "Initially, when Zu An was forced to leave, I didn't think much of it. But when Pei You was also forced out, I found it suspicious. Unfortunately, everyone seemed suspicious then, so I didn't raise an alarm. I secretly observed and finally caught you red-handed. It's a pity I couldn't alert anyone else, or there would be more than just me here now."

Gu Heng's expression flickered uncertainly. The brothers were still consumed by lust. They should have dealt with the people from the other families first, but instead, thinking everyone else was knocked out, they couldn't resist coming for Linglong.

He should have realized that Gao Ying was usually meticulous and cautious; he was bound to be suspicious.

Gu Xing snorted, "You're overly confident. If experts from other families were here, we'd surrender. But you were too cautious. Now there's only you, and even with Pei You, we brothers are not afraid of your combined might."

"I alone am enough!" No sooner had Gao Ying's voice fallen than the dragon-like cry of a long sword being unsheathed rang out, and his figure vanished from his spot.

The Gu brothers were startled and instinctively drew their weapons, blocking to the side.

With a crisp clang, sparks flew as their blades met. The two men swayed but still managed to block the attack.

Gao Ying was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect you two to have concealed your cultivation."

Gu Heng said coldly, "Do you think only disciples from first-rate families like yours work hard? Those of us from second-rate families have to work even harder to surpass those who start with an advantage like you."

Bi Linglong said coldly, "Don't insult the word 'effort'. For despicable and shameless people like you, the harder you work, the greater the harm you cause society."

Scolded by the woman he admired, Gu Heng gave up all pretense. "Who defines justice and evil?" he retorted. "Why is our effort harmful to society? In my opinion, it's merely a matter of the victor becoming king and the vanquished becoming villain. Once we help King Qi ascend the throne, we will be his loyal subjects. Everything we do will then be officially defined as just…"

"Silence!" Gao Ying was impatient with his grand rhetoric. A cold glint from his hand aimed at Gu Heng's tongue.

Gu Heng had been fully focused on defense. Seeing the move, he raised his saber to meet it, and Gu Xing, sensing his brother's need, counterattacked from the side.

Pei You also moved. Although Gao Ying seemed very confident, Pei You couldn't actually let him face two opponents alone. If anything went wrong, it would turn a great situation into a futile, piecemeal battle.

The four quickly engaged in a fierce battle. Gao Ying's cultivation was higher than the Gu brothers', but the Gu brothers excelled in their seamless coordination. For a while, it was difficult to tell who had the upper hand.

After a moment, Pei You snorted, clearly no longer wishing to hold back his true strength. The sword light in his hand flared brightly.

Almost instantly, the Gu brothers began to accumulate numerous wounds on their bodies. Although none were very serious, their defeat was sealed.

"Quick, let's go!" Gu Heng urgently said, trying to rush out. They still had some trusted followers, and the warriors from the other families loyal to the Crown Prince had been knocked out. If their followers joined in, they could turn the tide.

Gao Ying clearly saw through their intentions. "Trying to leave!"

With a flash of his figure, he cut off their retreat. His sword perfectly appeared in the Gu brothers' path, as if waiting for them to run right into it.

But just then, a sudden change occurred. A hand suddenly reached in from outside the tent and silently pressed against Gao Ying's back.

Gao Ying coughed up a mouthful of blood. His face instantly turned deathly pale, and he collapsed heavily to the ground like a broken sandbag.

He tried to stand up, but after several attempts, he failed.

A sudden alarm blared in Pei You's mind. He quickly retreated backward, but unfortunately, he was still a step too late. A black shadow, like lightning, moved countless times faster than him.

A pair of palms struck directly towards him. Pei You hastily deployed his strongest sword defense, blocking his front impenetrably. He just needed a moment to catch his breath to create distance and then fight a prolonged battle alongside the Crown Princess.

Unfortunately, the opponent's bare hands effortlessly broke through his defense. With a crisp snap, Pei You's precious sword shattered into several pieces.

Then those palms gently pressed against his chest. Pei You's chest visibly caved in by several inches. He lay on the ground, spitting out foamy blood, barely exhaling but unable to inhale. It was uncertain if he would survive.

The Crown Princess and her group originally held the upper hand, but in a flash, the situation completely reversed.

Only then did Bi Linglong clearly see the opponent's appearance. He had an ordinary appearance and wore the most common Bi family warrior attire.

Yet no one dared to underestimate him, because the strong aura fluctuations emanating from him and his intimidating pressure all indicated that he was a master far surpassing everyone present.

"Eighth-rank peak!" Gao Ying instantly despaired.

"Who exactly are you?" Bi Linglong's face was solemn, and her bright, large eyes stared intently at him. This person was clearly not a Bi family warrior.

Gao Ying and Pei You, lying nearby, also stared intently at him. They wanted to die knowing who he was.

The man let out a laugh and then pulled off the mask from his face. "As expected of the Crown Princess," he said, "so composed even at this point."

"Shi Tong!" By now, those around had recognized him. He was Shi Tong, the most highly cultivated person among the younger generation of the Shi family, the third brother of Shi Kun and Shi Jun, and had once held the position of Archery Commander.

However, his family's previous attempt to frame Zu An and the Crown Princess was exposed, leading to his dismissal and investigation.

"How are you here?" Bi Linglong exclaimed. He should have been in imperial prison at this moment.

"Thanks to King Qi for giving me a chance," Shi Tong said. "Otherwise, how could I avenge the Shi family?" As he spoke, Shi Tong's expression twisted. "You wretch, our Shi family was once so prominent, an undeniable first-rate family in the capital. But because you accidentally killed my sixth brother, you forced us to become mortal enemies with the Eastern Palace. One mistake led to another. Although the Emperor hasn't completely moved against our Shi family yet, that's because we possess a death-exemption medallion. But we all know that the Emperor will never truly spare the Shi family. And all of this, you caused!"

Bi Linglong said coldly, "That's rich, blaming others. Your Shi family plotted against me, yet you're claiming it's my fault. Ultimately, you brought this upon yourselves."

"What a sharp tongue you have," Shi Tong said, his voice chillingly cold. "Later, I'll strip you naked and shove this into your mouth. Let's see if you're still so arrogant then."

The Gu brothers, standing by, immediately grew anxious. "General Shi," they said, "King Qi promised Linglong to us."

Shi Tong snorted, "Whose fault is it that you were useless and couldn't handle her? Don't worry. After I'm done with her and have vented my hatred, I'll hand her over to you."

"You!" The Gu brothers were both shocked and enraged. Unfortunately, a single glare from the opponent sent a chill down their spines, and intimidated by the disparity in cultivation, they dared not say another word.

"Despicable! Shameless!" Bi Linglong's face flushed crimson. "On ordinary days, these noble young masters appear so splendid, but beneath their attractive exteriors lie such ugly and disgusting souls."

Shi Tong's eyes narrowed. "It's somewhat strange, I must say," he mused. "From the moment I entered until now, I haven't sensed any fear from you. Where does your confidence come from?"

Bi Linglong took a deep breath. "Zu," she called out, "how long are you going to watch this show?!"