A huge vertical mouth protruded from He Biao's chest, connected to his body by masses of rapidly multiplying flesh.
From a distance, it looked as if a monster were crawling out of a person's body. The vertical mouth was even larger than He Biao himself.
After swallowing Ning Xiu in one gulp, the entire mouth began to contract, intent on crushing Ning Xiu inside into a mess of minced meat.
He Biao smiled with satisfaction. As long as his Corrupt Bone Miasma Mouth swallowed its target, even a Martial Dao Eighth Rank warrior couldn't hope to escape.
In less than ten breaths, the corrosive liquid inside the mouth would reduce its victim to a pile of bones.
But before the smile on his face could linger for long, a patch of the mouth's skin suddenly turned bright red. White smoke rose from that spot, accompanied by the smell of something being scalded.
He Biao didn't even have time to react before a gaping hole burst through the surface of the mouth. Ning Xiu's drenched figure crawled right out.
"How is this possible?" He Biao stared in shock.
He had practiced Corrupt Bone Miasma Mouth for many years and had never failed. Anyone swallowed by the vertical mouth had always ended up unable to come out alive.
Ning Xiu's performance had truly shattered He Biao's understanding of the world.
Seeing his opponent standing there dumbfounded, Ning Xiu leaped up and closed in on He Biao at speed. This Demon Person had all manner of strange and bizarre methods, making him difficult to guard against.
Ning Xiu had only barely withstood the corrosive liquid inside the mouth thanks to the qi and blood of his Pure Yang Extreme Fist and his eighth-layer Golden Bell Shield. His body had escaped serious harm, but his clothes had once again been destroyed.
To keep He Biao from using some other trick, Ning Xiu decided to end the fight quickly and give him no more chances to use his arts.
Bang!
As Ning Xiu's fist came at him, He Biao hurriedly raised an arm to block. When Ning Xiu's red-hot fist struck it, He Biao felt as if he'd slammed into a scorching iron brand. His arm was instantly seared with pain, unable to bear the impact.
"How can this guy's qi and blood be so vigorous?" He Biao's eyes widened in disbelief.
But Ning Xiu gave him no time to think. His Pure Yang Extreme Fist came flying out in a rapid flurry. He Biao was no Demon Person skilled at close-quarters combat; how could he possibly be Ning Xiu's match?
After just a few exchanges, Ning Xiu struck him with a punch that sent him flying. He slammed heavily into the corridor wall.
"Pfft!" He Biao's stomach churned, and he couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of bloody froth.
Ning Xiu walked over, grabbed He Biao by the collar, and demanded, "Tell me. Who are you really, and why did you turn into this person?"
"You ruined everything for me." He Biao glared at Ning Xiu with intense hatred. If this meddlesome fool hadn't stuck his nose in, He Biao wouldn't have been exposed so soon.
Bloody froth seeped nonstop through the gaps in his teeth, slowly trickling down the corners of his mouth.
He Biao had been confined to the Xuan Zone, so his strength was naturally far beyond this. But he had only recently changed bodies, and his current strength couldn't compare to what it had been. Then, to top it all off, he'd run into Ning Xiu. He truly couldn't have had worse luck.
After taking several of Ning Xiu's punches, his insides had suffered severe injuries. In this state, he had no hope of escaping the Demon Subduing Prison.
The commotion soon drew the attention of nearby prison guards. When they rushed over, they were met with a horrifying sight.
He Biao, attached to the vertical mouth, was obviously a Demon Person. But how had he escaped?
In all the years since the Demon Subduing Prison had been built, only a handful of Evil Spirits had ever broken out of their cells. Anyone who witnessed such a thing could count themselves extraordinarily lucky.
"Seize him! Go check at once and find out which cell the Evil Spirit escaped from!" the Prison Warden ordered hurriedly as he arrived.
This was no small matter, but neither was it insignificant. If it wasn't handled properly, there would be trouble.
After taking several punches from Ning Xiu, He Biao was too badly injured to fight back. The prison guards easily subdued him.
The Prison Warden walked over to Ning Xiu and asked, "What happened?"
Ning Xiu held nothing back and told him everything he knew.
Soon, a prison guard ran over and reported, "Sir, all the cells are secure. No Evil Spirits have escaped. The only incident was in cell 97 of the Xuan Zone. The Demon Person who knew how to refine Black Origin Pills is dead for some reason."
The Prison Warden nodded. "Lock up the Demon Person we captured. I'll ask the Demon Subduing Bureau to come examine him later. It looks like an Executioner may have been killed by a Demon Person inside the Demon Subduing Prison. Search the area and see if you can find any remains."
Ning Xiu's expression turned grave. Given the power of that Demon Person's vertical mouth, if he really had killed He Yunlang, the body had probably already been corroded into scraps. There wouldn't be a trace left.
Thinking of how the Demon Person had killed a friend he'd known for over a year, Ning Xiu felt a pang of sorrow and regret. He had even planned to find a chance to recommend He Yunlang to Su Qianqian for a place in the Demon Subduing Bureau. But before any of that could happen, He Yunlang had met with disaster.
Ning Xiu couldn't help feeling sad and regretful. The world was indeed chaotic. Only by growing stronger could he gain the greatest security.
He Yunlang's death had stirred Ning Xiu's sense of crisis. He immediately took his leave of the Prison Warden and hurried to the cell assigned to him, beginning the day's execution work.
An hour later, he had smoothly gained 11,000 points of Universal Proficiency. Ning Xiu immediately set about improving his techniques.
Pure Yang Extreme Fist: Ninth Layer (31/5000) (+) Golden Bell Shield: Eighth Layer (12/4000) (+) Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique: First Layer (21/200) (+) Great Sun Profound Scripture: Fifth Layer (310/2000) (+) Universal Proficiency: 11510
After yesterday's improvements, the Pure Yang Extreme Fist and Golden Bell Shield had become quite formidable. Compared with those two techniques, the Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique and Great Sun Profound Scripture seemed somewhat lacking.
Since learning the Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique, Ning Xiu had benefited from it many times. It had helped him uncover Spring Full Pavilion's secrets and see through He Biao's disguise.
Seeing that the Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique was only at the first layer, and with Universal Proficiency to spare, Ning Xiu decided to raise it by a few layers first.
As a Demon Subduing Captain, he would often have to deal with Evil Spirits in the future. The Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique would surely prove extremely useful.
He spent 3,000 points of Universal Proficiency in one go, raising the Spiritual Eye Qi Observation Technique to the fifth layer.
Ning Xiu immediately felt his eyes grow clearer, as if they had undergone a considerable change. However, he had no target to test them on at the moment, so he still didn't know how much the technique's effects had improved.
Compared with the Pure Yang Extreme Fist and Golden Bell Shield, the Great Sun Profound Scripture was at a far lower level.
Internal Energy was the most direct way to increase one's strength, so he couldn't afford to neglect it. Looking at the 8,510 points of Universal Proficiency he had left, Ning Xiu poured them all into the Great Sun Profound Scripture.
Sixth layer...
Seventh layer...
Eighth layer...
Great Sun Profound Scripture: Eighth Layer (0/4000)
After breaking through three layers in a row, the Internal Energy in Ning Xiu's dantian instantly became deep and surging, at least three times greater than before.
Ning Xiu could hardly imagine what kind of power this Internal Energy would unleash when combined with his Pure Yang Extreme Fist.
"Though I can only stay in the Demon Subduing Prison for two days, with my current strength, I can just about leave the mountain." Ning Xiu thought to himself.
After these two days of improvement, he felt much more confident about carrying out the task on the letter Su Qianqian had given him.
After saying goodbye to the Prison Warden, Ning Xiu left the Demon Subduing Prison.
Of all those shocked by the Demon Subduing Bureau surrounding the Marquis Wuyi estate, none were more stunned than the Great Shang imperial clan.
The thirty-six marquises of Great Shang all held hereditary titles. Their lineages could be traced back to the clansmen who helped the Great Ancestor conquer the realm, and every one of them was a member of the imperial clan.
By now, Marquis Wuyi had changed greatly in temperament after the death of his wife, Madam Han. Many of his imperial relatives couldn't stomach his behavior and no longer wanted anything to do with him.
But the imperial clan was still the imperial clan, and its members shared a common face. How could the estate of a dignified marquis be surrounded in broad daylight?
The Demon Subduing Bureau might be Great Shang's sharpest blade, but that didn't mean it could act so recklessly.
Within a day, many members of the imperial clan went to the Demon Subduing Bureau to ask what was going on. They also wanted to see if they could persuade the Bureau to lift its encirclement of the Marquis Wuyi estate.
But when they heard from the Demon Subduing Captains why the estate had been surrounded, they were so shocked that they couldn't speak.
Everyone knew that Spring Full Pavilion was a brothel Marquis Wuyi had established after Madam Han's death. Now that it had been discovered harboring a large number of Evil Spirits, who could believe Marquis Wuyi had nothing to do with it?
When the Great Shang emperor who founded the Demon Subduing Bureau had established it to fight Evil Spirits, he had granted it the highest authority. Whenever Evil Spirits were involved, the Bureau's power outweighed all others—even imperial authority.
If the emperor colluded with Evil Spirits or was bewitched by a Demon Person and committed acts that endangered the people or the realm, the Demon Subduing Bureau had the authority to slay the evil emperor and install a new one.
The Bureau had only surrounded the estate, rather than immediately arresting Marquis Wuyi and taking him back for questioning. That alone showed considerable regard for the dignity of the Great Shang imperial clan.
Under the circumstances, Marquis Wushan, Wu Gai, one of the thirty-six marquises, took the initiative to invite Qin Daorong to accompany him to the Marquis Wuyi estate and demand answers from Wu Huannian.
If the other man had truly strayed from the path, then even as a marquis, he would be executed without hesitation or mercy.
Marquis Wuyi estate.
Wu Huannian sat calmly in the seat of honor. When he saw Qin Daorong and Wu Gai enter from outside, he immediately greeted them with a carefree, ingratiating grin. "Brother, Lord Qin, the Demon Subduing Bureau surrounded my estate yesterday, so why have you only come today? You've had me worried sick. Those people won't let me leave, and they won't let my servants leave either. What kind of nonsense is that?"
Qin Daorong studied Wu Huannian. The man showed not the slightest sign of panic. Qin Daorong couldn't tell whether he was truly innocent or simply putting on an act.
If it was the latter, then Marquis Wuyi's acting was truly remarkable.
"Your Highness, I didn't come here today to waste time. I'll ask you one question: did you know Spring Full Pavilion was harboring Evil Spirits?" Qin Daorong asked directly.
Wu Gai watched Wu Huannian gravely. The world had been plagued by Evil Spirits for hundreds of years, and ever since its founding, Great Shang had made eradicating them a national priority.
If one of the thirty-six marquises had strayed from the path, it would be a disgrace to the imperial clan.
"What? Lord Qin, you can't be trying to scare me. Spring Full Pavilion is harboring Evil Spirits?! I—I know nothing about this at all." Wu Huannian exclaimed, looking utterly stunned.
"Huannian, Spring Full Pavilion is your property. As its owner, you must have inspected the place at least once," Wu Gai said.
"No, no. Brother, you don't understand. Spring Full Pavilion may be my property, but why would I, a dignified Marquis Wuyi, manage a brothel? Wouldn't that disgrace me? I entrusted every matter, big or small, at Spring Full Pavilion to Steward Chu long ago. Apart from collecting my share, I know nothing about what goes on there."
Wu Huannian explained with great sincerity. Qin Daorong kept watching his expression but couldn't spot anything unusual.
Nor had Qin Daorong sensed any Evil Qi from Wu Huannian. For the time being, he really couldn't tell whether the man had strayed from the path.
Wu Gai said, "Huannian, are every one of those words true? You're not hiding anything?"
"Brother, do you think I'd have the nerve to harbor Evil Spirits in Chaotian Capital? That would be begging for death."
Qin Daorong spoke up. "Marquis Wuyi, I'll provisionally believe you're innocent. But you'll still have to remain in the estate and not go out for now. We can only clear you of suspicion after we've investigated the real culprit behind Spring Full Pavilion's secret harboring of Evil Spirits."
"Fine, fine, fine. Just make sure you investigate quickly. I can't stand being cooped up in the estate all the time."
"Farewell." Qin Daorong clasped his hands in salute, then left with Wu Gai.
Once the two men were gone, Wu Huannian's expression changed abruptly. He was like a different person from the man he'd been moments earlier.
"Another thousand people. Just another thousand, and Wan'er can come back to life. Then I can take her and leave Chaotian Capital. No one, no one can stop me now." Wu Huannian returned to his chair and murmured coldly.
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