Wanting to Toy with Her, Control Her

No matter what, Fan Linlin's journey to assume office as Prison Envoy had been settled. With the Skull Fiend Gate cooperating and assisting from within, coupled with Fan Linlin's considerable strength, she would surely reach the center of Black Wind Town without incident. The Prison Manor was located there.

The Eastern Origin Spirit Prison lay southeast of Black Wind Town. As a Prison Envoy, Fan Linlin had only two choices unless she took a detour: either enter through the Skull Fiend Gate's territory in the south, or cross the Yin Wind Hall's territory to the east.

The day before Fan Linlin was to take office, Lu Feng sent the news back. Upon learning that the Skull Fiend Gate would not make a move, Fan Linlin immediately changed her plans and switched her route to take office.

Of the four prison disciples she had selected for this journey, aside from Guan Yiwu's trusted subordinate Liu Xing, the other three were Yang Jiekang, Zhang Yaohu, and Guan Zhongshu.

They were also the three prison disciples she found most suspicious. Yang Jiekang was very likely a man of Yin Wind Hall, while either Zhang Yaohu or Guan Zhongshu was surely a spy planted by the Black Demon Palace.

Yin Wind Hall, inner hall.

The Young Master Bao Yige sat in a wheelchair, his expression exceedingly gloomy. As he listened to the servant kneeling before him report the latest news and learned that the Spirit Prison would send a Prison Envoy to take up the post of Prison Envoy, a cruel smile surfaced at the corner of his lips.

"Do you think sending over one Prison Envoy will be of any use?"

Given Yin Wind Hall's current momentum, a mere Prison Envoy of the Five Elements Realm no longer posed a threat. The distribution channels for Crane Immortal Pills had long since matured. Those soul masters who had become addicted could have blades held to their throats and still could not be stopped from wanting to keep buying them.

Bao Yige looked at the information sent over from the Spirit Prison in his hand. Having learned Fan Linlin's route for taking office the next day, he sneered and said, "Of all the roads through Black Wind Town, you refuse to take them and insist on entering through my Yin Wind Hall's territory. Then I shall properly fulfill my duties as host."

"Green Wolf, take a squad tomorrow and deliver a grand gift to this newly appointed Prison Envoy."

Ever since Bao Yige had been severely injured last time, his father Bao Zitu had assigned him two personal guards, Green Wolf and Black Scorpion. Both had reached the Five Elements Realm.

Green Wolf listened intently to Bao Yige's instructions. He deeply admired this Young Master. Yin Wind Hall's success today could be said to rest entirely upon one scheme and strategy after another from the Young Master.

After giving Green Wolf his orders, Bao Yige spoke a few more words to Black Scorpion. Though he trusted the news sent back by the spy planted in the Spirit Prison, he still made two preparations to ensure nothing went wrong.

"Must we really do this?" Black Scorpion could not help asking. It pained him somewhat that more than thirty Crane Immortal Pills had to be spent for a single plan.

Bao Yige shot him a glare and said coldly, "Are you questioning me?"

"I wouldn't dare," Black Scorpion hurriedly replied. The chill in Bao Yige's eyes frightened him greatly.

With a wave of his hand, Bao Yige dismissed the two. Facing a mural on the wall titled "Lord of Ten Thousand Beasts," he grinned wickedly and muttered, "Wouldn't it be quite interesting if the Prison Envoy became addicted to drugs on her very first day in office?"

A sickly smile hung on Bao Yige's lips. His goal was not to eliminate the Prison Envoy, but to toy with her and control her.

Skull Fiend Gate, within a quiet room.

Lu Feng sat cross-legged, concentrating on comprehending the Skull Fiend Heart Sutra. After two days of combining and sorting through it, he had already grasped eighty or ninety percent of it.

Casually taking out the Six Paths Coffin, Lu Feng entered the Six Paths Domain. The Ancient Desolation Altar in his hands rose without wind, and a skeleton of blood-colored white bones slowly emerged, emanating a terrifying aura.

Lu Feng took out several source stones and drew upon the spiritual qi within them, surrounding the battle corpse. He then took out three Nether Spirit Stones he had obtained, drew out the Nether Qi inside them, and controlled it according to the Skull Fiend Heart Sutra, slowly attaching it to the battle corpse's surface.

Threads of resistance came through. Lu Feng was startled. Under the encircling erosion of Nether Qi and spiritual qi, the battle corpse before him had actually developed resistance.

When living soul masters normally circulated the Skull Fiend Heart Sutra, they drew Nether Qi into their bodies, then slowly forced it from their Limbs and Bones into their skeletons to achieve the effect of tempering.

Lu Feng had directly skipped the middle step. The first thing the Nether Qi touched was the bones. Had it been an ordinary person, such an attempt would likely have already killed them, but fortunately, the battle corpse had no flesh or blood and felt no pain.

Upon sensing the resistance, Lu Feng decisively changed the direction of the qi. He no longer attempted to guide the Nether Qi into the bones. From that brief contact just now, he had already sensed the message conveyed by the battle corpse.

This battle corpse, tempered by the Ancient Desolation Altar, actually looked down on this level of Nether Qi and disdained to use it to temper its body.

Fortunately, the Body Refinement Technique recorded in the Skull Fiend Heart Sutra was not limited to drawing Nether Qi into the bones. Using Nether Qi outside the bones and body surface to condense protective inscriptions could likewise strengthen one's defenses, though the effect was far inferior to drawing Nether Qi into the bones.

After spending three hours, Lu Feng condensed all the Nether Qi from the three Nether Crystal Stones onto the battle corpse's surface. The battle corpse now looked even more sinister and terrifying than before. It had gained the strength to fight even a soul master of the Five Elements Five Qi Realm.

Lu Feng calculated that if he could temper it completely according to the Skull Fiend Heart Sutra's instructions, then in terms of defense alone, even Earth Soul Realm soul masters might be unable to break through this battle corpse.

But at present, it was strong on the outside and weak within. Though it could withstand the attacks of Five Elements Realm soul masters, if it encountered an Earth Soul Realm soul master, it would probably be dismantled within a few exchanges.

The following day, Lu Feng wore a black robe and a Fox Mask, his aura fully restrained, and arrived at the entrance of Black Wind Town early.

With the Fox Mask provided by the Soul Gate, combined with his utterly different attire, even if Old Book appeared before him now, he definitely would not recognize Lu Feng.

Following the Skull Fiend Gate's instructions, Lu Feng had come to welcome Fan Linlin as she assumed office. On one hand, it was to convey goodwill; on the other, it was because they feared other forces might secretly strike at her.

The Skull Fiend Gate urgently needed the assistance of this external force, the Prison Envoy, to preserve its position in the southern part of Black Wind Town.

As the number of people at the town gate gradually increased yet there was still no sign of anyone from the Spirit Prison, Lu Feng could not help frowning slightly. He faintly sensed something was wrong.

More than half an incense stick's time had passed since the time agreed upon with Fan Linlin. If it were another woman, Lu Feng might have thought that dressing and applying makeup had delayed her, but Fan Linlin, as a Prison Envoy, had always valued punctuality above all else. She would never be this late.

Something must have happened on the road!

Lu Feng immediately stopped waiting. He casually mounted an ordinary horse and headed outside town to search.

"Clang, clang, clang—"

After riding for less than half an incense stick's time, he suddenly heard the sounds of battle coming from afar.

Lu Feng immediately abandoned his horse, left the Official Road, and raced toward the sound.

In a forest ahead, Fan Linlin and her four prison disciples stood together, warily confronting seven Black-Clad Men before them.

From the Black-Clad Men's incessant taunts and curses, Lu Feng recognized their identities. They all came from the Black Demon Palace—the very sect Fan Linlin had previously infiltrated as a spy.

Were they here to seek revenge?

Judging by the Black-Clad Men's formation, they were clearly targeting Fan Linlin. They looked as though they had planned everything long ago.

Lu Feng suddenly realized that among the four people Fan Linlin had brought, there had to be a spy from the Black Demon Palace. Otherwise, the latter could never have learned so swiftly and accurately about the Prison Envoy taking office.

Eight Black-Clad Men fiercely clashed with Fan Linlin's group, and their momentum gradually overwhelmed the latter.

Watching Fan Linlin retreat step by step, Lu Feng hesitated. He did not immediately reveal himself and intervene. His current identity represented the Skull Fiend Gate. Acting rashly would surely offend the Black Demon Palace and needlessly make an enemy for the Skull Fiend Gate, which would affect his plans.

For now, Fan Linlin's side was struggling to hold on, but the enemy would find it difficult to end the battle anytime soon. With such a commotion, if they dragged it out a little longer, it would surely draw many passersby.

And among the travelers heading to Black Wind Town, nine out of ten were Soul Hunters. Seeing a Prison Envoy under attack, they would most likely lend a hand. After all, whether Black Wind Town had a Prison Envoy or not made a great difference to them.

At the very least, if a Prison Envoy was stationed in Black Wind Town, then even if the chaos could not be stabilized, they would have a neutral force to turn to for help—or even to save their lives—when danger arose.

To those Soul Hunters, that was undoubtedly the greatest safeguard.

The people of the Black Demon Palace clearly knew that the battle could not drag on. The leading Black-Clad Man quickly roared something, seemingly issuing an order.

The next moment, all the Black-Clad Men changed their footwork, and the previously chaotic melee became far more orderly.

Seeing the Black-Clad Men's positions and footwork, Lu Feng inwardly cried, Not good, it's an array.

"Demon Sky Black Scythe Array!"

It was a high-tier array that could be formed with five or more Core Formation Realm soul masters.

Lu Feng looked at the seven Black-Clad Men forming the array in surprise. He had not expected the Black Demon Palace to possess an array formed by people, and one of no low grade at that.

A trace of panic flashed across Fan Linlin's face. Just as she was about to strike back, she noticed that Zhang Yaohu beside her seemed somewhat abnormal. Though he appeared frightened, his steps were extremely steady.

Fan Linlin instantly thought of something. With a thought, she shouted, "Zhang Yaohu, go to the Kan position and stop that Black-Clad Man."

Before Fan Linlin could continue assigning tasks to Liu Xing and the others, Zhang Yaohu leaped backward and said, "Prison Envoy Fan, we are no match for these people. Their target is you. I'm sorry, but I have elderly parents above and young children below..."

Seeing Zhang Yaohu's actions, how could Fan Linlin fail to understand? Zhang Yaohu was clearly a spy sent by the Black Demon Palace, one who had been hiding at her side all along. Her exposure last time had likely been due to information he leaked as well.

Zhang Yaohu's words brought only hatred to Fan Linlin, but they were highly persuasive to Yang Jiekang. Moreover, Zhang Yaohu did not openly admit he was a spy, so to Yang Jiekang, his words sounded entirely reasonable.

After a brief hesitation, Yang Jiekang jumped out just like Zhang Yaohu and deliberately said with a hint of apology, "Prison Envoy Fan, forgive me."

A faint smile touched Zhang Yaohu's lips. With Yang Jiekang joining him, even if Fan Linlin miraculously survived today, they would at most bear the charge of being greedy for life and afraid of death, receiving some insignificant punishment. Their identities as spies would remain exposed within the Spirit Prison.

Guan Zhongshu glared furiously at Zhang Yaohu and Yang Jiekang, then cursed, "You two are unworthy of being prison disciples. At a moment of crisis, you are this pathetic."

Fan Linlin gave Guan Zhongshu a deep look. He had likewise been one of her suspects, but judging by the righteousness he displayed now, he did not seem to be a spy for any of Black Wind Town's forces.