Demon Sect

At this, the chief eunuch Sun Changyu waved a hand. "Young Master Li, there is no need to worry. Your situation is somewhat special. This is merely a smokescreen I employed to prevent any mishaps. It is also standard practice within the Heavenly Brocade Guard."

Li Musheng said nothing. He raised his head and looked out the window at the sky.

The blue sky, once clear for ten thousand miles, had somehow turned gloomy.

The air was stifling, and the horizon was gray.

In the distance, clouds rolled in, pressing lower and lower, as though they would crush the entire imperial capital.

Li Musheng stroked his chin and said faintly, "Judging by the weather, it should be about to rain."

As if to confirm his words, a muffled clap of thunder rang out from the heavy clouds, rumbling on without end.

Aurora Pavilion.

Outside a hall serving as a temporary Heavenly Brocade Guard base, several armored soldiers carrying sabers escorted a young man in a purple robe over at a brisk pace.

"You have some nerve! My maternal uncle is the Vice Minister of Revenue, and you dare arrest me?"

Zhang He twisted his body desperately, trying to break free from the soldiers' restraint, but all he received was a vicious blow from the flat of a saber.

"Hiss!"

The searing pain from the heavy strike across his back made Zhang He bare his teeth and cry out. He sharply sucked in a breath.

He glared viciously at the soldier who had struck him and opened his mouth to curse.

But at that moment, the soldiers had already dragged him into the hall. One of them reported in a deep voice, "Sir, following Eunuch Sun's orders, we searched the vicinity of Aurora Pavilion and discovered this man skulking about with suspicious movements. He may be one of those demonic path people."

Upon hearing this, Zhang He immediately shouted, "You had better make yourself clear! Who are you calling demonic path people? My maternal uncle is the Vice Minister of Revenue, a high-ranking court official! A little pawn like you is not even fit to carry my shoes!"

Seeing this, Song Shanyue, the Deputy Commander seated behind the desk, glanced at Zhang He before waving a hand. "He is merely a wastrel. Take him away and interrogate him first."

The soldier was unsurprised by this. He immediately acknowledged the order and prepared to escort Zhang He away.

Yet just then, Song Shanyue abruptly spoke again. "Forget it. This matter concerns demonic path people and cannot be taken lightly. Leave him here. I will interrogate him personally."

The soldiers were slightly taken aback, but said nothing. After pressing Zhang He to the ground, they all bowed and took their leave.

With a creak, the doors to the hall slowly closed.

The hall fell silent for a time. Only after a while did Song Shanyue's voice sound. "Who are you within the Six Desires Demon Sect?"

Hearing this, Zhang He, who had fallen to the floor, withdrew the blood-red gleam he had deliberately revealed in his eyes. He twisted himself upright and gestured. "I ask Lord Song to untie the ropes on me. Only then will it be convenient for me to speak with you."

Song Shanyue snorted coldly. Martial true qi spread along with his sound technique, shattering the ropes around Zhang He into powder in an instant.

Zhang He rubbed his wrists and climbed to his feet. The arrogance and fury from before had long vanished from his face, replaced by a faint, sinister smile. "The Holy Maiden asked me to convey her greetings to Deputy Commander Song. As expected, you are as hale and hearty as ever."

At these words, Song Shanyue's half-white hair stirred without wind. Veins bulged along his neck, and killing intent surged in his eyes, as though an uncontrollable rage was churning within him.

Even so, he forcibly suppressed his emotions and practically squeezed out the words through clenched teeth. "Why did she send you to find me?"

Zhang He seemed not to notice Song Shanyue's nearly murderous expression. He merely scratched his head and smiled. "The Holy Maiden has no orders for you at the moment. Actually, I wanted to find you and ask you to help me kill someone."

Song Shanyue laughed instead of growing angry. "You dare order this official around?"

The moment his words fell, a terrifying invisible sound wave blasted forth, sending Zhang He flying. He crashed heavily into a pillar in the hall, then tumbled across the ground, rolling several times before barely coming to a stop.

Immediately afterward, a fit of violent coughing echoed through the silent hall. Zhang He clutched his chest and continuously coughed up blood.

"Lord Song truly has quite the temper. If you strike again, I will activate the Demonic Heart Seed within your body..."

As he hurriedly spoke, he struggled to climb back to his feet.

Then he wiped the filthy blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Song Shanyue, whose expression was full of uncertainty. A teasing smile curled over his lips. "Lord Song, do not doubt my words. Before you kill me, I have more than enough time to activate the demonic heart and turn you into a great demon everyone will be eager to execute."

As he spoke, Zhang He's nostrils flared, and he rapidly muttered something under his breath.

The next moment, he suddenly drew in a deep breath.

In an instant, the scattered droplets of blood and fragments of viscera on the ground vaporized, turning into wisps of crimson blood mist that he inhaled into his body at once.

At the same time, Zhang He said with a chuckle, "Besides, whether Lord Song can kill me is another matter entirely."

Song Shanyue's pupils contracted. He could now clearly see that Zhang He's injuries had recovered completely in the blink of an eye, as though he had never been wounded by Song Shanyue's sound wave technique at all.

For a moment, the expression on Song Shanyue's face shifted unpredictably. He stared fixedly at Zhang He for a long while before finally closing his eyes slowly. "That bitch said that as long as I did three things for the Six Desires Demon Sect, she would remove the Demonic Heart Seed from within me and let Yun'er return."

"Only two matters remain undone. Does the thing you speak of count as one of them?"

Zhang He nodded and smiled meaningfully. "Rest assured, Lord Song. Every matter you do for the Holy Sect counts. Moreover, my relationship with the Holy Maiden is beyond compare. My words are entirely worthy of your trust."

Song Shanyue looked at him. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a voice as cold as ice. "Speak. Who do you want me to help you kill?"

Zhang He cupped his hands and said sinisterly, "Naturally, I ask Lord Song to act and kill that real Seventh Prince."

"The Great Li Court has killed no fewer than a thousand sons of our Holy Sect, making so many elders of our sect send black-haired people off before white-haired ones. I also want Emperor Yuanwu to taste what it feels like to lose a son."

Song Shanyue narrowed his eyes and sneered. "You are thinking too much. The imperial family is heartless. It is almost impossible for you to make His Majesty suffer over losing a single son."

Zhang He considered this, then gave a light laugh. "Fine. Whether that dog emperor suffers does not matter. Killing his son and making him rage in impotent fury will do."

"Besides, this is a rare opportunity. The other princes and princesses all have experts protecting them openly or in secret. This man has yet to have his identity confirmed, making him an exception. He will be far easier to kill than the others."

However, Song Shanyue slowly shook his head. "The person you wish to kill is likely not so simple."