Chapter 233: Old Man's Dead Soldier, You Are a Bit Incompetent

Jin Miaoshan's display was grand, but Wang Yu vaguely guessed why Jin Lin was so relentless in pursuing and bothering her.

Jin Lin (gold scale), Jin Lin (gold kirin)... only one character separates them. Yet, when spoken aloud, there was no discernible difference. If he were Jin Lin, he wouldn't tolerate such a pointed insult from someone of equal standing. This was truly a game.

"Whoosh—"

Four Golden Kirin beasts hovered three feet above the ground. Jin Miaoshan emerged from among them, having resumed her former lavish and dazzling attire.

Wang Yu wondered if it was an illusion, but he constantly felt a Buddha's aura glowing behind her head. Jin Miaoshan seemed far more talented than him in the Prajnaparamita Sutra, having actually comprehended Buddhist principles from it.

"Fellow Daoist Jin."

"Wang Yu, thank you for coming to greet me."

Wang Yu remained expressionless, but the surrounding crowd erupted in excitement.

"It's someone from Jinmanlou!"

"I knew only Jinmanlou could command such a grand spectacle."

"She must be here in Guiling to reopen Jinmanlou. This is excellent news! Quickly gather spirit stones from friends and family; the opportunity to get rich has returned."

"As expected of City Lord Wang, he's found us another fat sheep! I absolutely love him!!"

Jin Miaoshan's radiant smile immediately became unnatural, whereas Wang Yu, by contrast, broke into a grin.

"Please, come in."

"Phew..."

Taking a deep breath, Jin Miaoshan quickly cast aside her displeasure. She walked over to Wang Yu, and as they entered the city together, she spoke with a beaming smile.

"So, what do you think of my four Golden Kirin beasts? It took a great deal of effort to gather them all."

Wang Yu's mouth twitched.

"No wonder Jin Lin wants to cause you trouble. What you're doing will only infuriate him."

"My conflicts with him extend beyond this one incident. In short, his mother envies my mother, and the idea of the Golden Kirin beasts was my father's."

"Then your family is truly petty."

"This is called a counterattack. Their family initiated this targeted approach."

Jin Miaoshan showed some displeasure. Seeing this, Wang Yu refrained from further comment, as it was a family matter. He then changed the subject and asked,

"Did you bring any guardians? What Master Tianshui did last time likely caused Jin Lin significant losses. If you venture out rashly, they might very well retaliate."

Jin Miaoshan's delicate eyebrow arched.

"Does he truly dare send assassins to kill me? If he does, it will be an open declaration of war. Even if his grandfather is a Nascent Soul cultivator, he won't be able to conceal it."

Wang Yu paused, "Say less of such things. You never know... Watch out!"

In an instant.

The surroundings suddenly plunged into darkness. The bustling city gate from moments before vanished, and the two found themselves in a void of darkness. There was no light anywhere, making it impossible to discern sky from ground, yet their feet still felt solid beneath them.

Wang Yu, with a wave of his hand, released the Ice Dragon Core Flame, but it failed to illuminate the slightest bit of darkness, as if they were in boundless, deep dark space.

"What's happening?"

Jin Miaoshan's expression also grew solemn.

"This is a divine ability from the Shadow Prison lineage, originating from a Nascent Soul senior adept at assassination and stealth — Xuanjun Wu Ying!"

"It's an elder from Jin Lin's side."

"How do we break free?"

"It can only be broken from the outside. We just need to hold on for fifteen minutes; my guardians will find a way."

Wang Yu was speechless. The Mountain Search and Demon Hunt secret art automatically activated, keeping him alert to everything in the darkness, yet there was no movement, as if no enemy existed at all. Maintaining high-intensity vigilance indefinitely would inevitably lead to a lapse. He had to provoke the opponent into acting to assess their strength.

As he pondered this, Wang Yu attempted to speak.

"Hey, you're an assassin sent by Jin Lin, aren't you? This matter has nothing to do with me, so why do you keep dragging me into it?"

—Silence.

Wang Yu looked at Jin Miaoshan, realizing she was also looking at him.

"Pardon me."

He whispered softly, and with her completely unprepared, Wang Yu suddenly reached out, seizing her fair neck. His thumb and forefinger gripped her windpipe like steel. With his immense strength, a slight squeeze could tear out Jin Miaoshan's throat, causing her unbearable pain, or even sever her beautiful head, all with ease.

With her life suddenly in Wang Yu's hands, Jin Miaoshan did not panic; instead, she retorted.

"Hey—what are you doing...?"

"Don't speak."

Wang Yu shielded Jin Miaoshan in front of him and, narrowing his eyes, said,

"Friend, your time is limited. Jin Lin wouldn't allow you to kill Fellow Daoist Miaoshan; you must intend to capture her alive, correct? Perhaps you've heard of my reputation as a brute."

"Come out now and let this City Lord leave. I won't kill her. Otherwise... you'll be carrying her corpse back to report."

Their bodies were extremely close. Far from feeling fear, Jin Miaoshan instead subtly twisted her shapely hips, and a faint fragrance wafted from her neck, highly alluring. Wang Yu knew she possessed methods to escape his hold at any moment, but he truly hadn't expected her to have such a provocative side; she was practically inviting him for a drink.

"Stop fooling around!"

With a forward thrust, Jin Miaoshan instantly stiffened, a blush spreading across her pale face.

Coincidentally, ripples appeared in the deep dark space.

An aged figure emerged from the darkness, exuding the aura of a peak Core Formation cultivator. This level of strength already exceeded Wang Yu's limits.

"Are you an assassin, sir?"

The old man looked at Jin Miaoshan, his throat bobbing as if he hadn't spoken in a long time. His voice was very hoarse. "Yes."

Wang Yu, still gripping Jin Miaoshan, retreated, creating enough distance for him to react to a sudden attack. Only then did he speak.

"Considering your age, I'm afraid you might be a bit unqualified for the role."

The old man seemed not to have expected such a remark, failing to react immediately and unsure how to respond. Jin Miaoshan, however, understood Wang Yu's line of thought and said thoughtfully,

"Indeed, an assassin of such an age is truly rare. Are you truly Jin Lin's man? Were you slacking off when you were younger? If that were the case, it would prove the opponent was not a rigid mission machine. But the greater possibility was that this old man was not an assassin! How could an assassin live to such an age? It's illogical!"

A long silence followed.

Realizing he could no longer deceive them, the old man suddenly revealed an ugly smile.

"Miss Jin is truly exceptionally intelligent, remaining so relaxed even when captured and seeing through my scheme. However... you two are merely putting on an act, aren't you?"

Jin Miaoshan: "..."

Hearing the doubt immediately displeased Wang Yu; he particularly disliked it when people thought he enjoyed acting. "Acting? You think I'm acting?!"

For the first time, Wang Yu unleashed the Minor Asura Slaughter Fist, which he had cultivated for many years. Lacking Core Formation spiritual power, only the spiritual aspect of this divine art was manifested by him. A dense scarlet mist began to spread, transforming from a spiritual manifestation into tangible, terrifying killing intent that coalesced around Wang Yu. His eyes turned blood-red, emitting a three-foot crimson glow. The killing intent, which was once only palm-sized, now exceeded three zhang, forming a thick red mist above his head that condensed into the upper torso of an Asura. This oppressive sensation, which directly targeted the mind, could only be resisted by those with a steadfast Dao heart.

The old man's expression immediately turned solemn. He wasn't certain if Wang Yu was serious, and while Jin Miaoshan had guessed he cultivated the Path of Asura Killing Heart, she hadn't expected such significant progress. —It was already on par with hers!

Jin Miaoshan, having experienced killing intent invading her mind, deeply understood the terror of this state. She, too, doubted if Wang was truly serious; the panic of being targeted by a hunter sent chills throughout her body. As the saying goes, a wise person avoids danger.

Just as Jin Miaoshan was about to use a secret technique to escape, the old man spoke again.

"Calm down! Young friend Wang, let's talk this through. I didn't intentionally drag you into this."

"State your purpose."

The old man sighed helplessly.

"I was indeed entrusted by Young Master Jin Lin to bring Miss Miaoshan back."

"Why?" Jin Miaoshan asked.

"Miss's foundation is in Yunling, while Young Master Jin Lin's is in Youzhou. In the contention for Zhuyue State, he wishes for you to be unable to interfere. I will certainly not harm you, Miss, merely imprison you for a time."

"Heh—That Jin Lin brat is constantly scheming with underhanded tactics. Can't he just compete fairly with me for once? Does Uncle Wuying know you're here... Lou Gao."

Through their conversation, Jin Miaoshan discerned the other party's identity. The old man, knowing he could no longer hide, transformed, returning to his original appearance. Surprisingly, he was a handsome man with white hair.

Jin Miaoshan then explained to Wang Yu,

"Lou Gao is Xuanjun Wuying's eldest disciple. He failed to form a Nascent Soul once and has been unable to obtain a second chance to do so, nearing the end of his Core Formation lifespan."

Even as a Nascent Soul disciple, with his extraordinary status and the backing of a major merchant guild like Jinmanlou, the opportunity to form a Nascent Soul is not easily obtained. It is far rarer than Core Formation spiritual items, and almost no one sells them. Furthermore, the larger the faction, the more people there are waiting in line. Everyone has connections; it simply depends on who is fortunate. Obtaining one chance is already lucky; a second opportunity would never be given away freely. Even Xuanjun Wuying couldn't help him; he had to rely on himself to find such an opportunity.

"So, Jin Lin promised you a chance to form a Nascent Soul? And you believed him? He has to contend for his own."

"How could that be?"

Lou Gao shook his head, refuting Jin Miaoshan's guess.

"Young Master Jin Lin provided me with a clue. In the Taihu Spirit Domain, with my shadowless and formless cultivation techniques, I might as well venture deep into Taihu and contend for it."

"I see."

At that moment, Wang Yu's divine sense stirred, detecting turbulence in the dark void. Clearly, those outside were about to succeed. The situation was settled! The materialized killing intent, which had just surged out like a tide, was now fully retracted by him, and he removed his hand from Jin Miaoshan's neck.

She said suspiciously, "That was really just an act, wasn't it?"

Wang Yu spread his hands. "Of course. Don't you trust me, Fellow Daoist Miaoshan?"

On this point, she was highly skeptical.

Seeing this, Lou Gao did not seize the last opportunity to act, but instead offered another explanation.

"Originally, I planned to head directly to Taihu after completing the mission. Now that the mission has failed, I still intend to go and investigate. I hope we can meet again, Miss Miaoshan."

With that, the darkness receded, and the warm light of the sun shone in once more.

Qingyang and the others immediately gathered around.

"City Lord, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

Several people also gathered around Jin Miaoshan. All five of her guardians were peak Core Formation cultivators, significantly more than last time, clearly to guard against any issues during the Zhuyue State contention. In demonic path competitions, problems are the norm; one should not expect them to adhere strictly to the rules.

(End of Chapter)