Chapter 278: Chapter 178: Enchanting Fragrance

"Hehe, that’s a secret!" Li Hejun said, beaming.

As she spoke, she exchanged a look with Yu Feng’Er, as if they had reached an agreement, and they both started laughing mischievously.

"Hmph, so you’re teaming up against me, are you?" Lü Zhong snorted.

Seeing the two women’s incessant laughter, he felt his pride was wounded. His expression turned cold as he uttered a threat, "In that case, neither of you should expect to get out of bed tomorrow!"

And he was a man of his word.

...

The morning after, Lü Zhong awoke at the crack of dawn.

His expression soured as he gazed at the sleeping Yu Feng’Er. He raised his hand, summoning the Golden Sun Insect Fire. The Spirit Fire was much weaker than before, its color noticeably paler. He had used it the previous night to neutralize her Ice Soul Spiritual Energy. While the benefits had been substantial, the toll on the fire’s Spiritual Attribute was equally clear.

Gently moving her limbs from around his body, Lü Zhong slipped out of bed.

He cast a few Cleaning Skills to freshen himself up before putting on his Dharma Robe.

’All in all, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks,’ he thought, pushing open the door and heading toward the Quiet Chamber in the backyard.

After last night’s intense cultivation, Lü Zhong felt the True Essence within him stirring restlessly—a sign of an impending breakthrough in his Realm. If he went into seclusion now, he might just succeed.

He left the room, not forgetting to close the door behind him.

In the early morning courtyard, the air was exceptionally fresh.

’Hm? A little too fresh!’

And some of the Prohibitions in the courtyard were missing.

Lü Zhong was inwardly alarmed, but his expression remained unchanged.

He pretended to be lost in thought, reminiscing about the previous night, while secretly entering the Gray Mist Space to retrace the scene.

The concubines and maids in the front courtyard were all dead, killed by none other than Butterfly Flying Needles.

’It had to be Lady Butterfly!’

Whether she had gone mad and braved immense danger to sneak into the city for revenge, or she was there for some other purpose, this was a massive crisis for Lü Zhong.

Continuing his review of the past, Lü Zhong finally located Lady Butterfly’s hiding spot.

’To the front left, behind the tree!’

The instant Lü Zhong exited the Gray Mist Space, a barely perceptible fragrance drifted to his nose.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled out a pill and swallowed it. The antidote, refined from Lady Butterfly’s severed arm, took effect immediately, and the chaotic illusions erupting in his mind instantly ceased.

"Hmph. Die!"

Her plan foiled, Lady Butterfly dropped her concealment and charged out, ready to kill.

She held a higher Realm than Lü Zhong, and combined with her Butterfly Transformation Technique, her combat power was overwhelming.

A crazed glint in her eyes, Lady Butterfly was determined to slay Lü Zhong right here and now, to avenge the deep-seated blood feud for the death of her child.

Lü Zhong, now furious, did not retreat an inch and met her charge head-on.

They clashed for only a moment, but the courtyard—once a veritable garden of flowers and plants—was instantly ravaged. The shockwaves from their Magic Skills sent dirt and stone flying, uprooting plants and snapping stems, leaving a scene of utter devastation.

If not for the protective Arrays on the surrounding buildings, they too would have been reduced to rubble.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Gritting his teeth, Lü Zhong ripped the Butterfly Flying Needles from his body, ignoring the blood that gushed from the wounds. Lightning crackled in his left hand as he unleashed one Palm Thunder after another, violently bombarding Lady Butterfly.

The barrage made her butterfly wings tremble violently, and new holes were torn in them with every few strikes.

The fight was confined to the small space of the courtyard.

Neither of them tried to create distance, instead relying on a close-quarters exchange of Magic Skills and Flying Needles.

Lü Zhong unleashed one Sword Slash after another with his Late Sun Magic Sword, but Lady Butterfly deflected each one with a dance of her wings, creating a dazzling spray of Spiritual Light and sparks.

Lady Butterfly was the quickest cultivator of the same Realm he had ever encountered.

He grew ruthless, pushing himself without regard for the strain on his meridians.

With a quick hand seal, he sent out two more slashes. SWISH! SWISH!

’I’ll see who can hold out the longest,’ Lü Zhong thought.

As they clashed, a loud explosion erupted from behind him.

A savage grin had just spread across Lady Butterfly’s face as she prepared to taunt him, but it quickly morphed into a look of pure, flustered rage.

Lü Zhong didn’t even glance back. He just sneered at her, "So, what do you think? Is my Golden Lock Eight Gates Array to your liking?"

The Golden Lock Eight Gates Array, a type of Tier Two Mountain Protection Array.

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, no one would have believed that someone would install such a thing in a private courtyard. "Outrageous" didn’t even begin to describe it; this was the work of someone with more Spirit Stones than sense.

But Lü Zhong, to ensure his own safety and protect the secrets of his backyard, had gone ahead and installed it anyway, sparing no expense—spending thousands of Spirit Stones annually just to keep the Grand Array operational.

Once activated, the array also enveloped an area adjacent to the backyard: the very bedroom where he had spent the night with the two women.

"Die! Die with me!" Lady Butterfly shrieked, beside herself with fury.

She could never have imagined that Lü Zhong would be so cautious as to set up a Grand Array in his tiny courtyard. All she could think about now was killing the young man before her and avenging her dead son, Zhang Miao.

That was right—Zhang Miao was Lady Butterfly’s child.

His move at Yunlu Pavilion that day should have been foolproof.

But he never expected Yu Feng’Er to bring in a wildcard like Lü Zhong, causing his entire scheme to fail. Not only did his plan to control the Chengde Commerce Association fall apart, but he also ended up being hunted by the Changchun Valley’s Punishment Hall.

The day before the Lantern Festival, he was executed with the Soul Refining Punishment—a sentence reserved for Demon Cultivators.