"How could this be? No, no, no!"

The man in black came to his senses, his expression a mask of panic and despair as he scrambled toward the back courtyard. This time, City Lord Guang didn’t stop him, for the City Lord himself had been left utterly aghast by the incident.

"How could this have happened? Does he really kill just anyone?" City Lord Guang murmured in astonishment. Wu Tian had killed the Regent King, which secretly pleased King Xiuyuan, who wouldn’t have genuinely wanted Wu Tian dead for it. Then Wu Tian killed Wangshi Daozuo and a large group of court officials. That enraged King Xiuyuan, but City Lord Guang believed that once he revealed Wu Tian was the successor to *that* man, even King Xiuyuan would have to show some deference.

But now, Wu Tian had slaughtered the last remaining male heir of the royal family!

Heavens! King Xiuyuan will surely show his true colors now! He must be boiling with killing intent, absolutely determined to kill Wu Tian. How could he have the audacity to kill even Yulang? Could it be...

City Lord Guang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down as an idea formed in his mind: Wutian Celestial Emperor was still alive. He hadn’t perished. That had to be the source of Wu Tian’s confidence. At this thought, City Lord Guang was overjoyed. If that were true, it would be wonderful. He would even consider joining the Heavenless Gate himself.

「In the back courtyard...」

"My Prince!" the man in black cried out, utterly panicked. He reached Yulang’s corpse and saw the gaping, bloody hole in his chest. It was a horrifying sight, completely empty of all internal organs.

"Such a vicious blow!" the man in black roared in fury. "An unforgivable sin! That Wu Tian is an affront to Heaven itself!"

"Can you stop your infernal yelling?" the little girl said as she walked up, annoyed. She hated being disturbed more than anything.

"Who are you?" the man in black demanded coldly.

"Hmph!" The little girl puffed out her chest and stood with her hands clasped behind her back. "You just said my dad committed an unforgivable sin. You still don’t know who I am?"

"It’s you." The man in black’s rage flared. With Yulang dead, his own bright future was gone. He doubted he could defeat Wu Tian himself, but his heart burned with a fury that was unbearable if not vented. Gritting his teeth, he stopped thinking and lunged straight for the little girl.

"I’ll kill you!" The Wu Ji Xing Huang Flag appeared, manifesting Myriad Golden Lotuses. It was an unbreakable shield from which all evil recoiled, impervious to all laws.

"How can this be? Impossible!" the man in black yelled, his punch landing on the apricot-yellow flag to no effect whatsoever.

The next moment, while he was still stunned, the little girl threw a punch. Her fist crackled with the power of wind and clouds. In this realm, the punch was blessed by the Empress’s protection.

ARGH!

The punch landed squarely, leaving the man in black with a black eye.

"This is evil, just too evil!" the man in black panicked. He immediately turned and fled without a second thought, not daring to show his face again.

「On the streets...」

"Have you heard? Prince Yulang... he’s... he’s dead."

"I heard about it, too."

"Unbelievable."

"I never thought Wu Tian was so terrifying he’d even kill Prince Yulang."

"He’s finished. He’s definitely finished this time."

Gossip filled the streets as people discussed the event in hushed, shocked tones.

「Meanwhile, in a tavern overlooking the street...」

"Sect Leader, I’ve found out everything," a disciple reported, kneeling before Jian Xiaotian. "The Great Elder had originally gone to cause trouble for Wu Tian that day, but he unexpectedly ran into Ye War God. As for why Ye War God killed the Great Elder, this subordinate also uncovered a clue. Ye War God has a younger sister, Ye Qingxian. She is cold to everyone but treats Wu Tian with special attention. It seems Ye War God killed the Great Elder to protect Wu Tian, his prospective brother-in-law."

"So that’s how it is. That explains everything," Jian Xiaotian sneered, his eyes brimming with killing intent. So Ye War God had a motive. The Great Elder must have been killed by him. It seems we haven’t wronged him after all.

Though Ye War God was a prince from a neighboring country, he wasn’t the *only* prince. Jian Xiaotian figured that if he killed him, he could pay some price, communicate with the other princes, and the neighboring country wouldn’t make too much of a fuss. This Ye War God had killed his second brother. Jian Xiaotian swore an oath that if he did not kill him, he was no man.

But at that moment, Ye War God was completely unaware of the bloody fate that awaited him as he leisurely strolled through the scenic spots of the royal city with Yi Ren and Ye Qingxian.

However, when news of Yulang’s death reached them, Yi Ren grew agitated.

"No, this won’t do," Yi Ren said anxiously. "Brother Yulang was such a good person! For Wu Tian to kill even him... this man is a bloodthirsty monster! It’s too dangerous for my younger sister to be by his side. What if his murderous urges flare up again? Wouldn’t she be in grave danger? No, I must go and persuade her to leave."

"There’s no need to go. I believe this is your sister’s destiny," Ye Qingxian said slowly. Her voice was as crisp and clear as ice striking water, as melodious as wind rustling through shattered jade—it was indescribably beautiful. Even the proud Yi Ren had to admit her own voice paled in comparison.

"Destiny? What destiny?" Seeing his sister defending Wu Tian again, Ye War God grew displeased. "What could that Wu Tian possibly teach Princess Si’er?"

"No, you’re all being reckless," Ye Qingxian said, her tone softening unconsciously whenever she spoke of Wu Tian. "Think about it. He killed the Regent King, Wangshi Daozuo, and now Yulang. You say he’s too bloodthirsty, but have you considered that if he didn’t possess a certain level of strength, how could he have killed them all?"

"Is he really that formidable? How could he possibly compare to the Xiao Heavenly Emperor?" Ye War God retorted angrily.

He desperately wanted his younger sister to be with the Xiao Heavenly Emperor for two reasons. First, he could leverage the Heavenly Emperor’s power to make himself the king of Qin Country. Second, he felt a deep kinship with him. His own original name was Ye Fan, but feeling it was insufficient for greatness, he had renamed himself Ye War God. The Xiao Heavenly Emperor’s original name was Xiao Yan, which was a homophone for the term "reducing inflammation." Feeling this wasn’t the name of a true powerhouse, he had renamed himself the Xiao Heavenly Emperor. The two men shared very similar values and views on life, which was why Ye War God was so keen on having the Xiao Heavenly Emperor as his brother-in-law.

Si’er must be broken of that man’s spell. Ye War God’s eyes shifted, and believing himself to be of unparalleled wisdom, he came up with a plan for Yi Ren. "Princess Yi Ren, since she believes she has learned true skills from Wu Tian, you should go and teach her a lesson."

He wanted to make Si’er realize that Wu Tian was nothing but a charlatan. He also wanted Ye Qingxian to see that Wu Tian was all smoke and mirrors.

"Is that really a good idea?" Yi Ren hesitated, taken aback. "I can’t bring myself to strike my little sister."

"It’s the only way," Ye War God insisted, a self-satisfied smile playing on his lips, convinced his eyes were glinting with wisdom. "You must hurt Si’er and make her understand that everything Wu Tian has taught her is just a deceptive trick. Only then will she come to her senses."

"Alright, if it’s the only way... I’ll go find my sister right now," Yi Ren said, nodding decisively. Without wasting a moment, she headed towards Duke Guang’s Mansion.

Ye War God and Ye Qingxian followed her.