The Spy and His Guilt (Continued)

The barrier wasn't thick, but it was exceptionally solid, with water-like patterns flowing across its surface, clearly indicating it was a trigger-activated passive Defensive Soul Tool!

"Laugh!"

The palm made contact with the barrier, producing a faint sound of energy annihilation.

The barrier flickered violently, and after holding on for less than a second, it shattered and dissipated into specks of light.

But this one second is enough!

The piercing alarm instantly resounded throughout the entire city lord's mansion, its sharp sound seemingly about to shatter eardrums!

The red warning lights were flashing wildly throughout the corridors and courtyards!

Almost at the same time the alarm sounded, an inconspicuous brooch on Zhu Zhuqing's body lit up slightly—the information detection and transmission Soul Tool had been activated!

The images of Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, along with their approximate Soul Power fluctuations, were transmitted to the city's administrative center and law enforcement team, as well as to the more distant Spirit City!

Outside, well-trained guards and the city's law enforcement team reacted swiftly, with dense footsteps and the clanging of armor rapidly approaching from all directions.

"Alarm! The City Lord's Mansion is under attack!"

"Detection signal detected! Identification... It's the top wanted person, the human-beast hybrid Tang San, and his accomplices!"

"Tang San, the target is Titled Douluo! Do not act rashly, immediately request support from Spirit City! Activate Level Two combat readiness!"

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"Listen up, you inside! You are surrounded! Cease resistance immediately!"

Upon learning of the attackers' strength, the Imperial Law Enforcement Team knew that all they could do was stall until Imperial reinforcements arrived.

Inside the house, the moment the barrier shattered and the alarm sounded, Zhu Zhuqing stood up and retreated. She did this not only to create distance, but also to place herself completely in the shadows behind her!

Just as the mysterious man's hand broke through the barrier and was about to touch Zhu Zhuqing, the seemingly ordinary black boots on Zhu Zhuqing's feet— the Level 8 Soul Tool, Shadow Spirit Boots —suddenly lit up with intricate soul tool patterns!

Her aura and form instantly became blurred and transparent, then vanished completely into the dense shadows!

The mysterious man's hand missed its target.

"Oh?" The mysterious man let out a soft, ambiguous hum, tilting his head to face the empty space where Zhu Zhuqing had disappeared.

"Quick reaction... and decent equipment. The natives of this era aren't all useless."

The mysterious man hadn't expected that the Spirit Hall Empire, having only begun researching Soul Tool a few years ago, would be able to reach such a level of expertise.

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly teleported to a seemingly empty corner of the room, moving with a speed that surpassed visual perception!

"Got you?"

The mysterious figure's hand seemed to be touching an unseen person, none other than Zhu Zhuqing, who was using the Shadow Spirit Boots to conceal her presence and was preparing to quietly relocate and launch a counterattack!

After being touched by a mysterious person, the concealment was forcibly broken!

Zhu Zhuqing's figure was forced to reveal its outline. She was slightly surprised, clearly not expecting the other party to be able to see through the invisibility of Level 8 Soul Tool so accurately.

But she didn't panic at all. The moment she touched him, her body twisted at a flexible angle that defied the structure of her joints. At the same time, the Shadow Spirit Boots under her feet flashed with a ghostly light, and she tried to make a short shadow leap to break free of the restraints!

At the same time, the heavy solid wood door of the room was smashed open from the outside with a loud "bang". Several fully armed Soul Master guards with shining Soul Ring rushed in after hearing the sounds of fighting inside. Further away, powerful Soul Power fluctuations had already locked onto the room!

It's an ultra-long-range sniping Soul Tool atop a high tower!

These things happened in an instant!

Tang San's pupils contracted slightly—the situation was out of control and heading in the worst possible direction; his identity was completely exposed, and Zhu Zhuqing was displaying unexpected alertness and tenacity!

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The mysterious man completely ignored the exquisite shadow leap that Zhu Zhuqing performed using her level eight soul-guided boots.

With overwhelming power, He once again captured Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing felt an incomprehensible and irresistible force binding her, not from the impact of Soul Power, but more like a lock on the space itself.

Her agile, cat-like figure was forcibly "stripped" out of the shadows.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud signaled the end of the battle.

Zhu Zhuqing was forcefully pushed to the ground, her cheek pressed against the cold, smooth stone floor.

She was unlucky; she had just left the beginner village, full of ambition, when she bumped into an avatar of some being from the Abyssal Plane.

This isn't a battle, it's a crushing defeat!

Immediately afterwards, something forcefully pierced the depths of her mind.

Immediately, fragments of memory, completely opposite to reality, flooded Zhu Zhuqing's mind like a raging storm!

The memories flooding into her mind were like a nightmare, yet they also stirred something within Zhu Zhuqing.

She actually joined Shrek Academy, which had nothing, forgave Dai Mubai who had abandoned her, and they were together forever...

This is a nightmare!

But in the end, she actually succeeded in becoming a god, which made Zhu Zhuqing somewhat tempted.

Becoming a god—something countless Soul Master dream of—was actually achieved by the version of himself he remembered.

Two completely different life trajectories, emotional experiences, and value perceptions collided wildly at the core of her consciousness!

"Well--!"

Zhu Zhuqing let out a muffled groan, her body convulsing violently as her fingernails dug deep into the cracks of the stone slab, her knuckles turning white from the force.

The veins on her temples bulged, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly soaked her neat short hair.

But she didn't lose control and scream like Ma Hongjun.

Perhaps it was because she had faced too much alone in this life that she developed a resilience far beyond that of ordinary people.

She bit her lower lip so hard it drew blood, silencing all her screams of pain. Only her body trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes rolled rapidly beneath her tightly closed gaze.

A few breaths passed, yet it felt as long as centuries.

When the violent infusion of memories finally stopped, Zhu Zhuqing collapsed to the ground, as if she had just been pulled out of the water, breathing heavily and with unfocused eyes.

Tang San observed her condition.

Very good, Zhu Zhuqing's memories have been successfully "awakened".

"Let's go," Tang San decisively shouted to the mysterious man.

Now is not the time for acknowledgment and explanation.

Zhu Zhuqing's current identity is the powerful city lord of the Spirit Hall Empire, making her a highly valuable hidden asset.

The intelligence, resources, and even the impact on the future situation that she can access by remaining in the open are far more useful than immediately bringing her to our side and exposing her to the full-scale pursuit of the Spirit Hall Empire.

The mysterious figure grabbed Tang San, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, and the three of them vanished from the room in an instant.

Almost the instant they disappeared, a large number of fully armed guards finally broke through the barriers and poured into the room, their Soul Skill illuminating every corner.

"Lord City Lord!"

They only saw Zhu Zhuqing alone, looking somewhat disheveled as she propped herself up and sat on the cold ground, her face pale, her eyes gazing in a complicated direction towards an empty space.

She raised her hand to stop her subordinates from helping her up and asking questions, her voice slightly hoarse and weary. "I'm fine... The attacker... used strange methods and has already escaped."

She lowered her eyes, concealing the turbulent, unsettled emotions churning within them.

Memories from two lifetimes battled fiercely in her mind. She needed time to process them, assess their credibility, and, more importantly, discern—what were the true motives of Tang San and the mysterious person beside him?

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The attackers appeared and disappeared suddenly. The law enforcement team of the Spirit Hall Empire launched a well-trained operation, sealing off the scene, examining the traces, treating the wounded Zhu Zhuqing, and recording all abnormal energy residues.

The attacker was Tang San —the most wanted man on the wanted list, the infamous "human-beast hybrid," a madman with a blood feud with the Spirit Hall Empire.

The news spread like wildfire, both through official reports and private discussions.

"It's that bastard Tang San!"

"He actually dared to attack the Star Luo City's Mansion? He's utterly depraved!"

"He dared to devour his master before, and now he's attacking our city lord. What else is this madman capable of?"

"It's said he has accomplices with mysterious strength, even the city lord..."

No one found any logical inconsistency in Tang San's attack on Star Luo City.

Thanks to the Empire's long-term propaganda and Tang San's own misdeeds, the consensus among the vast majority of the Empire's citizens, and even lower-ranking military officers, has become that "nothing Tang San does is surprising."

After the initial cleanup of the scene, the captain of the law enforcement team responsible for the city's security and internal supervision, a Soul Douluo with sharp eyes and steady Soul Power, stayed behind with two deputies.

He carefully examined every trace in the room, especially the area where Zhu Zhuqing had been pinned down, his brow furrowed.

His gaze finally settled on Zhu Zhuqing, who was sitting in a chair, one hand supporting her forehead, her face still pale, with a professional caution and a hint of barely perceptible inquiry.

"Lord City Lord," the captain stepped forward, his tone respectful yet his words precise, "The attackers' methods are unpredictable. To ensure your safety, should I immediately arrange for a healing Soul Master to come and examine you thoroughly? After all... Tang San has a notorious reputation; what if he left something behind...?"

He didn't spell it out, but the meaning was clear: you were subjected to close contact and even brief control by them, yet released "unharmed"—there must be some kind of conspiracy at play, and you need to investigate carefully.

Zhu Zhuqing lowered her hand from her forehead, revealing a tired but composed face.

"Thank you for your trouble, Captain." Her voice was lower and hoarse than usual. "Indeed... my head is spinning, and my Soul Power is somewhat sluggish. I'd like to ask a healing Soul Master to take a look."

She did not refuse and readily accepted the examination.

This aligns with her "victim" identity and also alleviates, to some extent, the enforcement captain's deepest suspicions—that someone with a guilty conscience would often refuse a thorough investigation.

The healing Soul Master arrived quickly and, after a thorough examination, concluded that the person had suffered a "high-intensity mental shock, causing a shock to their sea of consciousness. They need to rest for several days, but there are no other hidden injuries or abnormal mental imprints."

This outcome was reasonable, and it temporarily suppressed the captain's doubts. Perhaps Tang San and his group had indeed used some rare, mentally-targeting attack method, and had failed to fully succeed in their haste?

The next morning, although the authorities tried their best to suppress the spread of detailed information, using only the official line that "the vicious fugitive Tang San attempted to attack the city lord's mansion but has been repelled," the news that "Tang San appeared in Star Luo City" was enough to cause a stir in the city.

That's just how reputation is!

Discussions about this matter could be heard everywhere—in taverns, streets, and gathering places for Soul Master.

"Have you heard? Tang San attacked the City Lord's Mansion last night!"

"It's Tang San! That bastard who deserves to be torn to pieces!"

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After sending a detailed report of the attack to Spirit City via encrypted channels, Zhu Zhuqing leaned back in her high-backed chair, closed her eyes, and rubbed her throbbing temples.