Virtual Shadow

Above and behind Jiang Yun, a pair of eyes faintly appeared in midair.

The eyes slowly opened!

Boom!

The instant Daoist Yunbao saw those eyes, it was as if he had glimpsed the Great Dao!

An indescribably powerful pressure instantly pinned him down, leaving him unable to move a muscle.

That was only because he cultivated Daoist magic.

The moment the monk Chen Hu beside him was fixed by that gaze, the Magic Power within him instantly fell into chaos.

A mouthful of blood burst from him, and he crashed to the ground.

Though Xu Suwen, far away on the rooftop, wasn't targeted by the eyes' pressure, the hand gripping her sword began to tremble for no reason.

"What kind of spell is this?" Xu Suwen thought, her heart pounding.

At that moment, Jiang Yun's Magic Power was also instantly drained, and he nearly collapsed.

He slowly turned around to look, but unfortunately, only a pair of eyes had appeared.

The Magic Power within him still wasn't enough.

But it was enough.

Though it was only an apparition,

what had appeared was an apparition of the Great Emperor Ziwei of the North.

One of the Four Emperors.

As the Magic Power within Jiang Yun ran out, the pair of eyes behind him gradually faded away.

The whole process had lasted no more than a few breaths.

But everyone present had fallen completely silent.

Including Lu Wanyu, who looked at Jiang Yun with a hint of fear.

Xiao Jingyuan, standing beside him, hurriedly turned to Lu Wanyu and said, "Lu Wanyu, quick, seize that brat!"

Lu Wanyu replied in a low voice, "Heir Apparent, Jiang Yun isn't someone we can easily deal with. In my opinion, a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him..."

Xiao Jingyuan swept his gaze over the entire street, where numerous guards from the prince's residence and many constables stood.

"With this many people, I refuse to believe we can't take down one Jiang Yun."

"Everyone, attack! You'll be richly rewarded!"

"Whoever takes Jiang Yun's head will receive five thousand taels of silver!"

With a generous reward, brave men would surely emerge.

The guards from the prince's residence, along with the constables from the Nanzhou Prefectural Office, were beginning to stir.

"Pfft." The monk Chen Hu, lying on the ground, spat out a huge mouthful of blood.

The guards and constables were so frightened that they took two steps back.

They had seen how terribly Chen Hu had fared. Even a master like him had been defeated in an instant.

How could they possibly dare to step forward?

As for Lu Wanyu, just recalling those eyes from moments ago made his very soul tremble.

The more cultivated they were, the more keenly they could sense the terror of that gaze.

With a thump,

Daoist Yunbao suddenly dropped to his knees and looked at Jiang Yun. "Daoist Lord, were those eyes just now yours?"

"Young brother, fellow Daoist—no, Master, could you cast that spell and let me see the Daoist Lord's eyes once more?"

"I beg you. I'm sure I could comprehend the Great Dao from them."

Jiang Yun furrowed his brow. Daoist Lord?

Was that what people called the highest god worshiped by the Daoist Sect in this world?

Daoist Yunbao had become somewhat delirious, rambling without pause.

"I saw the Daoist Lord's eyes! I saw him with my own eyes!"

"Hahaha! This Daoist is going to attain the Dao!"

"Daoist Lord..."

"Please, come out. Let your disciple see you once more, and I swear I'll devote myself to cultivation from now on."

"Back in the capital, your disciple was seduced by Abbess Chen Yun..."

"I've worshiped you for years. At last, I've seen you."

Seeing Daoist Yunbao like this, Jiang Yun sighed inwardly. He had just met the gaze of the Great Emperor Ziwei of the North.

That must have dealt a tremendous blow to Daoist Yunbao's Daoist heart.

And if an ordinary monk saw the eyes of a true Buddha, he would likely go just as mad with rapture.

After all, Daoists and monks had worshiped gods since childhood, their hearts filled with reverence and devotion.

Perhaps the feeling was like a young fangirl seeing her idol in person in his previous life—only multiplied ten thousandfold.

Maybe even more extreme than that.

The immense joy had dealt too great a shock to his mind.

By then, Daoist Yunbao had come right up to Jiang Yun and asked, "Master, were those eyes just now the Daoist Lord's?"

Jiang Yun shook his head slightly and said, "I don't know who you mean by the Daoist Lord."

"What appeared just now was the Great Emperor Ziwei of the North."

"The Great Emperor Ziwei of the North?" Daoist Yunbao shook his head repeatedly and took several steps back. "Impossible. It can't be."

"I've never heard that name."

"Those eyes just now must have belonged to the Daoist Lord."

"You're lying to me!"

"Daoist Lord, Daoist Lord, I'm here! Your disciple has come to find you."

Daoist Yunbao ran into the crowd, still rambling, and soon disappeared from sight.

Xiao Jingyuan's face darkened as he watched Daoist Yunbao go mad. "Fine! None of you dare make a move? I'll do it myself!"

With that, he drew the sword at his side.

Jiang Yun had already been drained of his Magic Power, but he wasn't worried.

Xu Suwen was still on the rooftop nearby.

But, unexpectedly, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Heir Apparent Xiao, this matter ends here."

Everyone turned toward the sound.

An old Daoist in a robe, with a long white beard and an immortal air, stood on a nearby rooftop.

Xu Suwen's expression shifted slightly. She had been standing on the roof the whole time, yet she hadn't noticed when the old Daoist had arrived.

"May I ask who you are, Master?"

Seeing the other man's immortal bearing and Daoist robe, Xiao Jingyuan didn't dare be discourteous.

"Xuan Daozi of Tianqing Temple."

"Xuan Daozi?" Xiao Jingyuan frowned, searching his memory for the name.

Then his eyes widened, and he suddenly looked at the old Daoist. "The legendary immortal of Tianqing Temple?"

Xu Suwen also looked over in surprise. She knew that after her letter reached Tianqing Temple,

the temple would send someone to verify Jiang Yun's identity.

She hadn't expected the person to be Xuan Daozi himself.

Xu Suwen hurriedly bowed.

Xuan Daozi glanced at Xiao Jingyuan and said calmly, "The eunuch delivering the imperial edict will be here soon. Heir Apparent Xiao, you'd best return to the prince's residence and wait."

"Immortal, this man killed—"

Xuan Daozi's expression remained placid as he suddenly asked, "Was it Jiang Yun who killed the prince?"

His words carried straight into Xiao Jingyuan's ears.

An irresistible force seemed to compel him,

leaving him unable to lie.

"He didn't kill him."

Only after Xiao Jingyuan said this did he begin to gasp for breath, staring at Xuan Daozi in terror.

The old immortal must have used some kind of spell to make him incapable of lying.

If he asked about the real reason his father had died—

The old Daoist Xuan Daozi held his whisk and gave it a slight sweep. "Go back. The Daoist Sect does not involve itself in any worldly affairs."

"Yes." Xiao Jingyuan felt a heavy weight lift from his heart.

He didn't dare linger here any longer.

If the old immortal made him tell the truth in front of everyone, he'd be finished!

Xiao Jingyuan glared at Jiang Yun reluctantly.

It looked as though the old immortal had come for Jiang Yun.

He took a deep breath, withdrew all the guards from the prince's residence, and quickly left.

Jiang Yun also looked toward the old Daoist. "Thank you for your help, Master."

Xuan Daozi seemed uninterested in everything else. He only asked, "What was that pair of eyes just now?"

Sorry for the slightly late update today. I should be able to post earlier tomorrow.

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