Chapter 171: Chapter 170: Zhuo Qingyan: I Want You to Die With Your Eyes Open

Changping Prefecture Yamen.

Yuan Wenrui, wrapped in a large cloak, stood in the rear courtyard, gazing at the northern sky over the city.

The variegated Five-Colored Thunderclouds, the Wind and Fire that swept across the heavens, the pitch-black and profound Hell, the divine figure radiating golden light...

"Who is it?" Yuan Wenrui asked. "Is it the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court?"

Behind him stood two middle-aged men.

A middle-aged man in black robes said, "My wife just went to take a look, but the perimeter of Golden Wind Hall is sealed by a Restriction. She couldn’t get in. All she could see were Fierce Ghosts wailing inside. The scene was chaotic and she couldn’t get a clear view."

Another middle-aged man, this one in blue, said, "Rest assured, Prefectural Magistrate. The Golden Wind Divine King’s Magical Power is profound. The experts from the Xuanwei Divine Sect and the Spirit Court can’t even make it to Jiangnan; they would be no match for the Divine King."

"That Wind and Fire and those thunderclouds are not to be trifled with. The newcomer’s Dao Practice may not be inferior to the Golden Wind Divine King’s."

A strange voice came from above them. It was a small, skinny man with a sleazy appearance, dressed in brocade clothes. He was sitting on a treetop, holding a wine jug, his eyes glittering with a strange red light.

The skinny man chuckled, looking at Yuan Wenrui. "Prefectural Magistrate, you might as well start preparing. Perhaps a distinguished guest will pay you a visit tomorrow."

Yuan Wenrui’s eyes flickered. Just then, a woman wrapped in a crimson mink coat walked out of a side room. She looked at the northern sky, her eyes filled with panic. "My lord, the Divine King has encountered an enemy. Is the news reliable?"

Yuan Wenrui smiled faintly. "Nan’Er, go back and rest. The Divine King is a master of supreme Magical Power. Even if an enemy has come, they will be no match for him."

As soon as his voice fell, the flames that had wreathed the northern sky abruptly vanished. The Five-Colored Thunderclouds also slowly dissipated. The immense fluctuation of Magical Power suddenly disappeared, leaving only faint ripples that kept the city’s supernatural beings suppressed and afraid to move.

"Hmm?" Everyone turned their heads in unison.

"It’s over?"

"So quickly?"

The man in black breathed a sigh of relief. "The Golden Wind Divine King’s Magical Power is boundless. It seems this was just a scare, with no real danger."

The man in blue, however, furrowed his brow and looked at the skinny man in the treetop. He saw that the skinny man had lost his earlier mocking tone. His expression was one of profound shock. ’How could it be so fast?’

Yuan Wenrui raised an eyebrow and looked at the skinny man. "Is something amiss?"

The skinny man said gravely, "The Golden Wind Divine King has seven to eight hundred years of Dao Practice, has gathered countless amounts of Incense, and has refined over a thousand vengeful souls and Fierce Ghosts. With him presiding over the Golden Wind Divine Sect, even an opponent with a thousand years of Dao Practice might not be able to take him down in a single night."

The man in black was stunned. "Don’t you mean... the Golden Wind Divine King didn’t win?"

The skinny man scoffed. "The Golden Wind Divine King’s power terrorizes Changping Prefecture. If those people weren’t absolutely certain of victory, why would they dare attack him at his own doorstep?"

The woman in the mink coat’s expression flickered. She moved with graceful steps, drawing closer to Yuan Wenrui, only to find that the shadow beneath the black-robed man stirred slightly, moving to block the space between her and Yuan Wenrui.

"My lord," the woman in the mink coat said in a sweet voice, "Although I am the Golden Wind Divine Maiden, my body has long since been yours. My heart belongs completely to you."

Yuan Wenrui nodded and smiled. "Rest assured, Nan’Er. I am well aware."

At that exact moment, the skinny man abruptly turned his head, his eyes glowing red. He stared fixedly at the top of the northern wall of the courtyard, where four figures—two men and two women—had appeared. On the shoulder of the young woman on the far left rested a White Fox.

"Huh? Another expert?" The young man in blue robes on the far right looked at the skinny man with surprise. "His Dao Practice is even higher than mine. How can an expert like that be content acting as a mere lackey?"

The red light in the skinny man’s eyes receded, and he remained silent.

The middle-aged man in blue took a step forward and cupped his hands. "Might I ask if you have just come from Golden Wind Hall? I am Yue Tao, and I hold the humble position of Tutor in Changping Prefecture. How should I address you all?"

The man in black also cupped his hands. "I am Huang Yiping, also a Tutor for Prefectural Magistrate Yuan. The Prefectural Magistrate is a Court Official, unlike the Golden Wind Divine Sect. Why don’t you Mages come down for a chat?"

The two had set the stage; all that was left was for Yuan Wenrui to speak.

But after waiting for a moment, they still hadn’t heard Yuan Wenrui speak. They couldn’t help but turn to look, only to see him staring blankly at the group on the wall, his forehead already beaded with cold sweat.

The two men looked at each other in confusion. ’Why is Yuan Wenrui reacting like this? Even if they’re from the Court, he was posted here in Jiangnan against his will. The Court wouldn’t necessarily give him trouble. There’s no need to be this frightened, is there?’

"They’re foes, not friends!" Yuan Wenrui suddenly shouted. "Attack!"

As his voice fell, a burst of Magical Power erupted from Yuan Wenrui’s body, enveloping him as he retreated toward the rear garden.

Zhuo Qingyan’s eyes were cold as she flew in pursuit.

The man in black was stunned for a moment. His shadow rose up, transforming into a Female Ghost with black clothes and black hair. The man and the ghost moved to block Zhuo Qingyan, but they were interrupted by the cry of a sword.

They looked up to see a twenty-foot-tall phantom hovering in mid-air, suppressing their Divine Souls with its oppressive aura. The young man in blue robes from before had already drawn his sword. The Sword Light split in two, stabbing straight for their hearts.

The skinny man’s eyes flared red again. Seeing the middle-aged man in blue make a slight move, he hastily sent a message with his Divine Sense. Then, instead of trying to stop Zhuo Qingyan, the two of them leaped up, intending to escape in the other direction.

But just as they took flight, they saw the young woman wave her hand. Several sheets of Yellow Paper suddenly turned to ash in mid-air, and a translucent barrier of light enveloped the Changping Prefecture Yamen.

In the next moment, the last of the newcomers, a young man in green, appeared before them, his gaze fixed on the skinny man.

"Such heavy Evil Qi. How many people have you killed?"

As Gu Zhao spoke, he raised his hand and summoned the Soul-Stabilizing Seal. It shot out a beam of dark light that immobilized the middle-aged man in blue. Then, forming a sword point with his right hand, he summoned a bolt of violet-gold Thunderbolt that descended from the sky, striking at the crown of the skinny man’s head.

The skinny man jerked his head up, two beams of red light shooting from his eyes to meet the Celestial Thunder head-on.

BOOM!

A deafening crash echoed as the red light actually ground away the Celestial Thunder.

Gu Zhao raised an eyebrow. "Your Dao Practice is indeed impressive, almost on par with the Yellow Dog King’s. It’s a good thing we were cautious last time and didn’t come here directly. But that was then, and this is now..."

Gu Zhao gave a cold smile. With a grasping motion, a Long Spear appeared in his hand. "And now, you can contribute that Evil Qi of yours!"

...

Meanwhile, Yuan Wenrui, possessing some Magical Power of his own, was far from being a mere mortal, even if his Dao Practice was not high. In a few breaths, he had already fled to the rear garden and arrived beside a rockery.

But before he could duck into the cave within the rockery, a figure appeared before its entrance.

Clad in white like snow, with hair like a black waterfall, a cold expression, and a beautiful face.

Yuan Wenrui froze. "Qingyan..."

Zhuo Qingyan looked at him placidly, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk. "Yuan Wenrui."

Yuan Wenrui’s eyes darted about. Zhuo Qingyan had once discerned the ambition hidden in his music; he knew she was not someone who could be swayed by his words. His gaze shifted, landing on the woman in the mink coat who had followed him into the garden.

"Stop her! When I achieve my goals, I will take you as my wife!"

The woman in the mink coat’s eyes flickered. Then she saw Zhuo Qingyan take out a Small Banner and wave it gently. A sinister aura, thick with cold Evil Qi, enveloped her, and then she knew nothing more.

From Yuan Wenrui’s perspective, he saw Zhuo Qingyan wave her hand. His beloved concubine’s Ghost Body was dispersed, her Divine Soul instantly annihilated by the Evil Qi, her very soul scattered to the winds.

Zhuo Qingyan turned to Yuan Wenrui, her gaze indifferent. "Truthfully, no matter what secret lies in that cave, you cannot escape death. But I am deliberately stopping you. I will give you no hope. I want you to die with your eyes wide open in regret."