033 Painter Master, the Azure Luan in the Sky

Steward Chu was formidable. Even with a struggling person in her arms, her speed didn't slacken in the slightest.

Ning Xiu sprinted after her, but still remained three or four zhang behind. Before long, she was about to run into another cave entrance.

Seeing this, Ning Xiu hurled the Startling Thunder Hammer in his hand with all his strength, aiming for Steward Chu's back in an attempt to slow her down.

But Steward Chu merely reached back and grabbed at the air. A thick earthen wall, several feet high, surged up from the ground and took the blow head-on, foiling his attempt.

"Five Elements Sorcery!" Ning Xiu exclaimed in surprise.

Five Elements Sorcery was a symbol of the immortal path. When Demon Persons fell, they usually only learned the methods of Evil Spirits.

The scarred woman before him seemed to have quite a story. She was clearly no ordinary person who had fallen halfway.

Ning Xiu hurried to the earthen wall and picked up the Startling Thunder Hammer. Cracks had appeared in the wall where the hammer had struck.

He slammed his shoulder into it. His powerful body smashed straight through the middle of the wall, leaving a gaping hole.

The Demon Persons who had caught up behind him gaped at the sight.

That had been a wall several feet thick! Was this Demon Subduing Captain actually a Demonic Creature in human form?

Following Steward Chu deeper into the cave, Ning Xiu never would have guessed that the passage didn't lead back to the surface.

He hadn't chased her for long before he reached the end.

The ground here was covered in runes carved into a circular pattern, each one linked to the next, as though they formed some kind of formation.

Above the formation hung numerous iron chains with jade stones attached, glowing with a firefly-like light.

Steward Chu ran into the formation with Han Wan'er in her grasp and activated it without the slightest hesitation.

The runes on the ground instantly blazed with dazzling white light. Beams of light shot upward like square pillars, surrounding the entire formation.

By the time Ning Xiu reached it, the formation was completely enclosed by the pillars of light. The figures of Steward Chu and Han Wan'er within were growing blurry and insubstantial.

Though he had no idea what was happening, Ning Xiu didn't hesitate to stop them. He brought his hammer down with all his might, trying to break through the pillars of light around the formation.

Unexpectedly, the pillars were incredibly sturdy. Even the Startling Thunder Hammer couldn't leave so much as a scratch on them.

Then, in the very next instant, the entire formation suddenly dimmed and erupted with a tremendous wave of air that blasted Ning Xiu backward.

The jade stones above the formation crumbled into powder, and the runes on the ground were badly damaged.

When he looked into the formation again, Steward Chu and Han Wan'er were already gone.

"A teleportation formation?" Ning Xiu stared in disbelief at the place where Steward Chu had vanished.

Though the Great Dao encompassed three thousand paths, and formations were certainly one of them, Ning Xiu had never heard of a teleportation formation.

This involved space itself. Had the Demon Persons already mastered such a thing?

There was no time to think about it. He needed to report this to his superiors as soon as possible.

Ning Xiu turned to face the Demon Persons who had caught up and charged straight at them.

According to Liu Yong's instructions, he only needed to leave one alive for interrogation.

Killed a Demon Person, Universal Proficiency +800

Killed a Demon Person, Universal Proficiency +700

Killed a Demon Person, Universal Proficiency +900

By the time Ning Xiu dismissed the effects of the Heavenly King Vajra Art and returned to the pool with an unconscious Demon Person in tow, Qin Ben and the others had subdued all the remaining Demon Persons.

After Li Yueying sent up a towering signal of smoke to alert those outside,

the Demon Subduing Captains once again surrounded Spring Full Pavilion, just a few days after the last time. This time, however, the situation was different.

Ning Xiu and the others had found evidence linking Marquis Wu Yi to the Demon Persons. This time, Marquis Wu Yi could no longer escape suspicion.

"That Demon Person got away?"

When he saw that Ning Xiu hadn't brought Han Wan'er back, Liu Yong immediately had a bad feeling.

"Sorry, everyone. I let her get away." Ning Xiu lowered his head with a sigh, then described in detail what had just happened.

There had been nothing he could do to stop the Demon Person from escaping through a formation. But Han Wan'er had been taken away, leaving the Demon Subduing Bureau without a crucial piece of evidence. That was indeed his responsibility.

"That wasn't a teleportation formation."

After hearing Ning Xiu out, Li Yueying immediately rejected the idea. "From what you've described, the Demon Person used the formation called 'Shrink Ground into Inches.' It's a Fourth-Rank formation that allows anyone within it to merge with the earth in the blink of an eye and burrow several li through the soil."

"You mean the Demon Person and Madam Han are still somewhere in Chaotian Capital?" Liu Yong asked.

"Exactly. The Shrink Ground into Inches formation differs from the Shrink Ground into Inches sorcery. This formation must be set up at both ends to ensure that those within can emerge from underground. Otherwise, they'd suffocate beneath layers of soil. That means the place where they emerge is fixed. It must be where the other formation is located."

The four exchanged glances and spoke in unison. "Marquis Wu Yi's manor!"

Just then, a great many footsteps rang out from the passage at the entrance.

Ning Xiu turned to look and saw a large number of Demon Subduing Captains rushing out. Among them were no shortage of Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains, bronze leopard tokens hanging at their waists.

It seemed that Li Yueying's towering signal of smoke had stirred up a storm across Chaotian Capital that night.

Whether they were Iron Steeds, Bronze Leopards, or Silver Tigers, they had all been swept into the eye of that storm.

Among the dozen or so Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains who had arrived, Ning Xiu even spotted Su Qianqian.

She had clearly noticed him too and immediately shot him a questioning look.

Ning Xiu shook his head, indicating that this wasn't something they could explain with a glance.

After the many Bronze Leopard Demon Subduing Captains appeared, the Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Captain Qin Daorong followed. He swept his gaze across the subdued and slain Demon Persons before walking toward Ning Xiu and the other three.

The Golden Dragon Demon Subduing Captains were rarely seen within the Demon Subduing Bureau and, by all accounts, didn't manage the many people and affairs within or outside the bureau.

The Demon Subduing Bureau was now led by Qin Daorong and two other senior Silver Tiger Demon Subduing Captains. The three were known as the Three Demon Subduing Tigers.

Qin Daorong was a Painter Master of the Third Rank. Since joining the Demon Subduing Bureau, Ning Xiu had never encountered anyone stronger.

"Lord Qin." Ning Xiu and the others clasped their fists in greeting.

"You've been here for some time. Have you discovered anything?"

"My lord, our most urgent task is to go to Marquis Wu Yi's manor and arrest him. We mustn't let the Demon Persons take him out of Chaotian Capital. I'll explain the situation on the way." Ning Xiu hurriedly spoke up.

As soon as Qin Daorong heard him, he could tell how urgent the matter was. He immediately took the wooden case from his back and opened it. Inside were paper, ink, brushes, and an assortment of paints.

He pulled out a sheet of rice paper and tossed it into the air, then raised his brush and began to paint.

His brush glimmered as he swept it across the paper. In just a few breaths, before the sheet had even touched the ground, a majestic Azure Luan had appeared on it.

The instant the rice paper landed, a clear cry rang through the cavern. The Azure Luan flew right out of the paper!

Its wings spanned two zhang, its feathers were magnificent, and its tail plumes were long. Red, yellow, and white eye-like markings adorned its wings. What a divine bird!

With every stroke, the image became real. This was the divine power of the Painting Path.

"Come with me. The rest of you, go to Marquis Wu Yi's manor at once." Qin Daorong put away his brushes and ink and leapt onto the Azure Luan's back. Ning Xiu immediately followed his orders and climbed aboard.

As soon as Qin Daorong gave the command, the Azure Luan took off and smashed straight into the cavern ceiling.

Boom!

In an instant, a huge hole appeared in the ground above.

It burst through the earth and soared straight into the heavens.

The Azure Luan wheeled around and flew toward Marquis Wu Yi's manor.

The fierce currents of wind lashed against Ning Xiu's face, and all of Chaotian Capital's rooftops and streets spread out below him.

This rare view was even more thrilling than flying on a plane in his previous life.

The Azure Luan's back was broad, with plenty of room to stand. Ning Xiu braced himself to keep from being buffeted off his feet by the wind.

A dozen or so breaths later, the two men and the bird were already soaring above Marquis Wu Yi's manor.

Beneath the moon and among the clouds, they looked down upon one of the most famous princely residences in all of Chaotian Capital.

"You said a Demon Person was going to take Marquis Wu Yi out of Chaotian Capital," Qin Daorong said, his hands behind his back.

Ning Xiu quickly explained everything about Steward Chu, the Spirit Gathering Banner, and Han Wan'er.

"My lord, the Demon Person resurrected Madam Han, who had been dead for years. Marquis Wu Yi has nothing left to hold him in Chaotian Capital. His escape is only a matter of time. We should arrest him at once, before he uses the Shrink Ground into Inches formation to get out of the city."

"There's no need to worry. He won't get away." After hearing the situation, Qin Daorong sat down right there.

He opened the wooden case again, preparing to paint on the spot.

Seeing that even his superior's superior wasn't in a hurry, Ning Xiu calmed down as well. He stood behind Qin Daorong, wanting to see what he planned to paint.

The methods of cultivating the Painting Path were quite unique.

This path emphasized observing, comprehending, bringing forth spirit, and adding the finishing touch.

First, one studied the subject and practiced extensively, mastering its proportions, perspective, and light and shadow.

People had three divisions and five features, and all things had their own aesthetic proportions.

Only by getting the drawing right could the image possess substance and spirit. Then, with the final stroke that brought it to life, one could make it real and enter the Ninth Rank of the Painting Path.

Those in the Lower Three Ranks of the Painting Path were slow at painting. Taking a quarter of an hour to finish an image was perfectly normal. If they worked faster, the image would lack substance and spirit. That was why they often carried dozens of paintings that had yet to receive their finishing touches, ready to add the last stroke and fight when needed.

Those in the Middle Three Ranks painted faster, able to complete an image in the time it took half an incense stick to burn. They could also paint themselves to strengthen their own divine powers.

Those in the Upper Three Ranks, like Qin Daorong, had mastered their craft so thoroughly that they could paint however they pleased. Every brushstroke was infused with spirit, and creating an image took no more than a thought.

Qin Daorong spread out a sheet of rice paper and set brush to it. One black moth after another fluttered out of the painting, gathering into swarms as they streamed below.

Before long, black moths covered the entire Marquis Wu Yi's manor, flying in all directions as though searching for something.

When the pillars of light around her vanished, Steward Chu found herself in a clean stone chamber.

Recognizing the place, Steward Chu finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was the other end of the formation.

But she had no time to waste. The Demon Subduing Captains would soon find their way to Marquis Wu Yi's manor. She had to take Wu Huannian through another Shrink Ground into Inches formation and get him out of Chaotian Capital.

She left the chamber and saw Wu Huannian sitting in the main hall. When he turned around and saw Han Wan'er, he froze.

Confusion, shock, joy... All sorts of emotions surged through Wu Huannian's heart, and two streams of tears slipped silently down his face without warning.

He remembered when he was eleven or twelve. The family's wet nurse had brought a timid young girl back from their hometown. Newly arrived at the manor, she didn't understand a thing and spent all day following him around in fear, hiding behind him.

When he was sixteen, the age of dance sleeves, they had secretly held hands and slipped out of the manor on the night of the lantern festival. They went to the Tian River to float lotus lanterns and eat glutinous rice cakes.

Along the way, the girl said she would dance for him by the river. But she was so clumsy that she slipped and fell into the water. He had to struggle mightily to pull her out.

That night, they returned to the manor soaked from head to toe and got quite the scolding from his parents.

When he turned twenty, he came of age as a man. The girl had already reached the age when she should be married off.

He took her by the hand and ran all the way to the temple of the Peach Blossom Star Lord, where people prayed for love and marriage. They solemnly offered three incense sticks and told the Star Lord what they wished for.

That day, he gave the girl a hairpin, and she gave him a jade pendant in return. It was simple, but before the Peach Blossom Star Lord, they had bound their fates together.

He had married her into the manor in a splendid procession of eight sedan chairs. For years, their love had never faded.

They were still the same young master and little maid who had followed at his heels.

"I really can't—I can't accept that you're gone. I can't live in a world without you."

Wu Huannian slowly rose to his feet, crying like a child who had been wronged. His hands trembled as he walked toward Han Wan'er, the longing in his eyes plain as day.

But Steward Chu couldn't let Wu Huannian waste time on an emotional reunion.

The Demon Subduing Bureau's people could arrive at any moment, and Han Wan'er's current condition wasn't what Wu Huannian expected. If they started talking, the truth would soon come out.

She hurriedly said, "Your Highness, Madam Han has only completed the first step of her resurrection. Her condition is still unstable, and she needs to return to the Black Heaven Gate's base for further treatment. Several Demon Subduing Captains discovered me while I was bringing Madam Han back to life. They'll surely arrive at the manor with reinforcements soon, so we have to leave now."

"Good, good. Then let's go now." Wu Huannian gazed at Han Wan'er, his heart full of joy, without a trace of attachment to Chaotian Capital.

Suddenly, several black moths flew in through the door. Like headless flies, they careened around the room, a thoroughly unpleasant sight.

"Where did these moths come from?" Wu Huannian waved his hand, striking the black moths dead against the wall from a distance.

The moths' bodies silently vanished, leaving behind only smears of ink on the wall.

"What?!" Steward Chu's expression changed instantly. Only someone of the Painting Path could use such a method. The Demon Subduing Captains had arrived.

"Your Highness, there's no time left. Go!" Steward Chu hoisted Han Wan'er onto her shoulder and immediately ran out the door.

Now every second counted. They had to reach the formation and activate it before the Demon Subduing Captains caught them. Otherwise, no one would leave Chaotian Capital alive that night.

At the very moment Wu Huannian struck the black moths dead, Qin Daorong, atop the Azure Luan, sensed it too.

Each black moth had been painted by his own hand. They were his scouts, able to relay what they saw.

He'd found his target. It was time to cast the net and haul in the fish.