Flames and Madness

Although the full-force attack, meticulously planned by the semi-saint, only swept across Huizhou County from the sky, the beam of light that eclipsed the sun inevitably caused chaos among the crowd below.

After that deafening roar, which sounded like an earth dragon turning over, the queue waiting to enter the city below the city gate immediately lost all order.

Ordinary people were unaware of what was happening, but their long-held beliefs told them that the towering city walls could provide them with protection.

Vegetable farmers carrying fresh produce desperately tried to squeeze into the city for protection, but were knocked to the ground by guards of caravans on tall horses, scattering their produce everywhere. The caravan leader tried to bribe the soldiers on duty to let them pass, but was pushed apart by the chaotic crowd, and countless shouts and curses echoed under the city gate.

In this chaotic and disorderly state, the first person to die soon appeared.

A gaunt old woman, her head covered in blood, cried out, desperately trying to protect the vegetables she was saving to supplement her family's income by clinging to a bamboo basket. But she was mercilessly knocked to the ground by the crowd and trampled on until she fell silent.

"Anyone who trespasses through the city gates will be executed!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a martial arts apprentice dressed in the uniform of the City Defense Bureau bureau randomly slashed at the side of several men who were trying to escape into the city in the chaos. With the enhancement of his cultivation, the blade directly cut them in half at the waist!

The City Defense Bureau drew their knives.

The bloody scene and Sha Qi instantly quelled the chaos below, but this order only lasted for a few breaths.

A few breaths later, another earth-shaking tremor resounded.

This time, unlike the first roar that seemed to echo from afar, it occurred right outside Huizhou City.

The ordinary people below the city wall didn't know what was happening; all they knew was that following the roar was a tremendous wind pressure.

A powerful gale swept down from mid-air, and the shockwave from the collision swept across the earth, causing the weak to cough up blood!

The neighing of horses, the cries of the crowd, and unseen fear spread beneath the city walls. The hard-won order crumbled once more, and the crowd began to desperately surge into the city.

Amidst the throng of people desperate to survive, dozens of low-ranking martial artists from the City Defense Bureau were no longer able to maintain order.

Some were lucky enough to escape into the city, but many more were trapped beneath the gate of the city tower by the surging crowd, surrounded by cries and shouts.

Squeezed from all sides, they couldn't breathe. Some wanted to retreat, but couldn't. A desperate, suffocating feeling enveloped everyone below the city cave.

At this time,

A voice, even more despairing, followed.

It was a low, rumbling sound.

Hearing the sound, I looked up and saw the heavy city gate slowly pressing down on the archway.

The cave was silent for a moment, then erupted into an even more terrified and violent argument!

"Those bastards from the city City Defense Bureau have left the city gates!!!"

"Hurry up! Hurry up!! People in front, hurry up!!"

"No, no!! The city gates are coming down!"

"Boom!"

The City Defense Bureau officials in charge of the city gates had seen Demon Beast and participated in bandit suppression, but what was happening before their eyes could not be explained by those things.

An unknown crisis has struck. For the safety of the entire county and to prevent the situation from deteriorating further, he has no choice but to close the city.

As the city wall crashed down, the panicked crowd suddenly noticed that the sky was also gradually changing.

A series of lotus-like emerald light curtains gathered in the sky above the city and connected with each other, forming a canopy over the vast county town within a few breaths!

The City Protection Array has been activated!

Those who recognized the canopy breathed a sigh of relief, but unfortunately, most of the city's residents had never seen anything like it before. Chaos and disorder quickly spread from the city gate tower to the entire city.

When the noisy shouts reached the courtyard, the dust that had just been stirred up had not yet settled.

Compared to the chaos in Huizhou County, the courtyard was eerily quiet.

Xu Yuan never expected to see Li Yunqing here, and he certainly didn't expect that even after he was assassinated up here, this kid would be having so much fun down here.

However, Xu Yuan quickly understood, since the kid had said before he left that he wanted to experience the local customs and culture.

Xu Yuan's gaze swept over the woman beneath him, and his eyes immediately narrowed.

In the warm morning sunlight

The stunningly beautiful woman lay supine on the cold stone table, her red dress half-undone, revealing glimpses of the rise and fall of her breasts and the beautiful curves of her abdomen. Her exposed snow-white skin glowed pink under the light, and the lingering blush and allure on her face stirred the imagination.

"Cough!"

A low cough suddenly broke the silence in the courtyard, and drew Xu Yuan's gaze from the beautiful woman to Li Yunqing.

They locked eyes for a moment,

Li Yunqing grinned.

Xu Yuan smiled, then looked back at him.

"." Li Yunqing.

Men, how can they be as beautiful as women?

Of course, Xu Yuan wasn't only staring at this stunning woman because he thought she was beautiful; she just looked familiar.

Yes, it looks familiar.

Although the woman's clothes and appearance had changed, under his Spirit Sight vision, he could tell that she was the courtesan who had been with Li Yunqing that night in Guangyang Prefecture.

The thought flashed through his mind, Xu Yuan's gaze, fixed on the woman's beautiful figure, involuntarily took on a scrutinizing quality.

As the world's top flying mount, the Mystic Eagle's speed is even slower than that of Grandmaster, but its strength lies in its endurance, allowing it to fly continuously for up to half a month.

Origin Beginning expert might not be able to reach their destination faster than Mystic Eagle Pavilion when traveling over extremely long distances, yet this woman arrived in Huizhou County at the same time as them.

So, this woman is Li Yunqing's trump card?

No wonder Lou Ji threw him here.

In the eerie silence of the courtyard, the woman who had been lying on the stone table suddenly disappeared from Xu Yuan's sight. When she reappeared the next moment, she was already dressed in her elaborate red dress.

The alluring woman gracefully bowed to Xu Yuan, who was standing not far away.

"Qianxi greets the Third Young Master."

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, not answering the woman, but looking at Li Yunqing, a slight smile playing on his lips:

"Who is this?"

The embarrassment on Li Yunqing's face disappeared, and he said with a smile:

"My most beloved confidante."

So, she's the younger brother's wife?

"Changtian, your understanding is not wrong either."

"Then why did you say you would send her to me in Guangyang Prefecture?"

"." Li Yunqing.

The words fell silent, and Qianxi, lowered eyes suddenly narrowed.

It wasn't because the Third Young Master's words were flirtatious, but because the other party, a mere Soul Condensation cultivator, was able to see through her disguise.

"Don't be surprised, Lou Ji told me."

Xu Yuan casually made up a convincing explanation, glanced at the woman, and asked Li Yunqing directly, "Junqing, what is Qianxi's cultivation level?"

Lou Ji casually tossed him here, presumably because she had noticed Li Yunqing's situation.

This woman's cultivation level must be quite high.

Li Yunqing did not answer, but straightened his magnificent robe and softly called out:

"Qianxi, Changtian has another question for you."

Qianxi bowed slightly upon hearing this and said sweetly:

"Your Highness and the Third Young Master, Qianxi was fortunate enough to break through to the Mortal Shedding on New Year's Eve this year."

Mortal Shedding

Xu Yuan's eyes lit up instantly.

Although his older sister Lou Ji was by his side, the current situation had reached a point of life and death for him.

Judging from the solemn expression on Lou Ji's face when the woman in the black dress appeared, the other party's cultivation level should also be that of a half-saint.

Since the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion has already sent a half-saint, the possibility that other powerful figures accompanied him is almost 100%.

Moreover, the beam of light that the opponent used to launch the sneak attack was clearly premeditated.

In other words, other powerful individuals may have already infiltrated Huizhou County.

With the assistance of another Mortal Shedding expert, it's like sending charcoal in snowy weather.

While pondering,

Li Yunqing pointed to Xu Yuan's somewhat disheveled clothes, frowned slightly, and asked knowingly:

"Changtian, have you been assassinated?"

Xu Yuan nodded slightly and pointed to the City Protection Array that had been fully deployed in the sky:

"Lou Ji has already engaged the assassins."

"You've been assassinated, what are you doing here?"

"." Xu Yuan.

Seeing the smile in Li Yunqing's eyes, Xu Yuan's eye twitched involuntarily.

They looked at each other for a few moments.

Li Yunqing still had that curious expression, and even winked at Xu Yuan.

Damn it, now it's finally your turn to beg me, kid. I'll kill you if I don't!

Xu Yuan was silent for a moment, then smiled as well:

"Isn't this where we need your help, Junqing?"

"Help?" Li Yunqing raised an eyebrow, still curious. "How exactly will you help?"

Xu Yuan smacked his lips, gritted his teeth, and nodded with a smile:

"The assassin is quite powerful; I'm afraid we'll need your help, my beauty."

"We need Qianxi to make a move."

Li Yunqing frowned, stroked his chin, and suddenly asked:

"Where is his sister-in-law? He shouldn't just stand by and do nothing, right?"

Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this:

"Sister in law?"

"That Heavenly Oversight Pavilion Holy Maiden"

"She's your sister-in-law, so what about your older sister?"

"Each pays their own."

Li Yunqing replied with a smile, "You are both my brother-in-law and my elder brother, so it's not too much for you to call that holy maiden 'sister-in-law'."

If your sister finds out, you're going to get a beating.

"You dare tell my sister?"

"." Xu Yuan.

After a few moments of silence, Xu Yuan stared longingly at the scoundrel:

"Junqing, your sister-in-law left some time ago, and now your brother-in-law has been assassinated. You can't just stand by and watch her die, can you?"

Li Yunqing nodded, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Changtian, I certainly cannot stand by and watch you die, but what about the seven million taels of silver I borrowed from you when I was in Beifeng City?"

broken.

Xu Yuan tentatively said:

"I think it was five hundred."

"Well"

Li Yunqing sighed softly, looked up at the sky, and said with a deep gaze, "Changtian, Qianxi is my beloved. How can you expect her to protect you from such a powerful figure? What if you encounter danger?"

Looking at this pretentious man's act, Xu Yuan took a deep breath and asked through gritted teeth:

"Li Yunqing, aren't you afraid of being buried with me?"

Without hesitation, Li Yunqing replied with a smile:

"Although Li Zhaoyuan is very bold, he wouldn't dare to break through the city and kill you directly. I'm afraid I can't afford to pay for his death."

"."

After a moment of silence, Xu Yuan asked expressionlessly:

"We don't have enough cash or banknotes, can we use supplies as payment?"

"Brother Changtian is straightforward."

Li Yunqing beamed, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture, and held out his hands in front of Xu Yuan: "Anything is fine."

Xu Yuan reached into his robes, about to take out a Sumeru Ring, but suddenly stopped and said out of the blue:

"By the way Junqing, do you know which faction sent the assassins?"

"Um?"

Li Yunqing asked with a slight doubt, then shook his head. "How would I know?"

Xu Yuan stared into his eyes and chuckled:

"You don't know? Then do you want to know?"

"."

After the words fell silent, Li Yunqing's heart skipped a beat.

It's all over.

That bastard is trying to drag him down with him again.

If things had escalated to this point, and he were to find out the identities of those assassins, not only would a prince like him be silenced, but even the crown Crown Prince would be killed here.

Thinking of this, Li Yunqing turned to leave, but then suddenly stopped.

wrong.

He realized something.

From the Xu Changtian threw Lou Ji into his courtyard, he was already dragged into this mess.

Whether he actually knew or not was no longer important. As long as that Xu Yuan revealed the identities of those assassins when he encountered them, and then said, "[I have already informed the Third Prince of your identities]", he would definitely be on the assassination list.

Damn it! This Prime Minister's Estate, big and small, is filled with silver coins?!

"."

The sunlight still shone in the courtyard, and the dust that had just risen had already settled.

The three people standing on the stone slabs and blue bricks remained silent, and Li Yunqing looked as if he had eaten excrement.

He did call Qianxi over to ensure Xu Changtian Changtian's safety, but why is he feeling so uneasy now?

As his thoughts wandered, Li Yunqing suddenly caught a glimpse of a small, dark shadow flying towards him.

He instinctively caught it, unfolded it, and discovered it was a Sumeru Ring.

Li Yunqing was taken aback and looked up at the man opposite her.

Xu Yuan just stood there, smiling and staring at him.

"This is what you gave me in Beifeng City. I've never touched it. I'm returning it to you now."

"." Li Yunqing.

Holding the Sumeru Ring, Li Yunqing opened his mouth, but no words came out.

Oh shit,

Why did he actually feel a little moved by the man's behavior?

Taking a deep breath, Li Yunqing tucked the Sumeru Ring into his robes and rubbed his temples.

"Alright, alright, Qianxi, you'll stay with Changtian for now, obey his orders, and protect his safety."

Upon hearing this, Qianxi immediately bowed and replied:

"Yes, Qianxi will do her best."

Li Yunqing turned to look at Xu Yuan, stared at him intently for a moment, and said:

"Xu Changtian, I'll lend you Qianxi for now. You owe me a favor this time."

As he spoke,

He paused for a moment, then said softly:

"And Changtian, Qianxi is my dearest love, her safety is also very important."

"."

Xu Yuan's expression remained unchanged, but a sudden chill ran through him.

Although he had considered that Li Yunqing might have some trump cards and be able to summon some high-level experts to help him, after all, Li Yunqing controlled a large interest group like the Imperial Dynasty Chamber of Commerce. If he didn't have some connections, then he would have really been doing nothing.

But Xu Yuan truly hadn't expected that the other party's trump card would be one of his confidantes, and a confidante at the Mortal Shedding Realm who was completely obedient to him.

This relationship is far too intimate.

As a prince who dared not even break through to the third-rank Grandmaster in order to avoid the Crown Prince's suspicion, is it really normal for Li Yunqing to have such a powerful figure by his side?

This is completely abnormal.

Even for the heirs of these top-tier forces, Mortal Shedding Realm experts are not commonplace, let alone those who are Mortal Shedding to them.

In a flash, Xu Yuan understood the meaning behind Li Yunqing's words.

This Mortal Shedding woman Qianxi must be someone planted by the Crown Prince to confide in him.

Li Yunqing wanted to take this opportunity to get rid of his beloved.

After a moment's pause, a smile appeared on Xu Yuan's face:

"Don't worry, I have no chance to do anything improper to your beloved right now."

Li Yunqing rolled her eyes:

"Even with your cultivation level, you can't break her body."

Xu Yuan gave the expert at the Fusion Realm a strange look, scanning him up and down.

"So you've been all talk and no action all along?"

"Also?"

Li Yunqing grasped the key point, glanced at Xu Yuan with disdain, shook his head, and smiled mysteriously:

"Qianxi is different from my older sister; she's a gentle and kind woman."

"Gentle?"

"She will relax on her own."

"." Xu Yuan.

Li Yunqing waved his hand:

"What are you still standing there for, kid?"

Xu Yuan smiled wryly:

"Are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?"

Li Yunqing was so angry she laughed:

"They're after you, not me. If we get cornered in this courtyard, I'll have to have Qianxi protect me first."

Xu Yuan chuckled softly upon hearing this, then solemnly bowed with his hands clasped in greeting:

"Junqing, I appreciate your kindness, and I will repay you when I have the chance."

"Come on, just don't drag me into your troubles in the future."

Li Yunqing smiled and waved his hand, pointing to the crater Xu Yuan had made in the courtyard as he spoke:

"Remember to clean up this pit before you leave. I don't want to be tortured by those assassins to find out where you are because of it."

Having said that,

He turned and walked straight into the stone-tiled house in the courtyard, leaving Xu Yuan with a sassy and dashing back view.

As the door closed, only Xu Yuan and Qianxi remained in the courtyard.

Qianxi bowed respectfully and offered a reminder:

"Third Young Master, where are we going now?"

Xu Yuan's eyes flashed with a blood-red light as he replied softly:

"Let's go to the Mystic Eagle Pavilion first."

Qianxi did not ask for the reason, but simply said:

"The Mystic Eagle Pavilion located in the Beast Ward of the Bureau of the Exotic Beast Bureau, which is quite a distance from here. Would you like me to take you there?"

Xu Yuan wasn't surprised that the other party knew the location of the Mystic Eagle Pavilion, and shook his head:

"The assassin has likely already infiltrated the city; flying through the air is far too risky."

A thoughtful look appeared in Qianxi's beautiful eyes:

"Just now, Chief Lou used his Qi to protect you, young master. I didn't sense your presence before you landed in the courtyard, so those assassins probably didn't know either."

When speaking,

Qianxi's beautiful face showed no shyness whatsoever, as if she wasn't the one Xu Yuan had just witnessed in their intimate moment.

Xu Yuan nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Li Yunqing shouldn't have any strange fetish for being spied on; if he knew Li Junqing was coming, he would have stopped what he was doing.

At this point, Qianxi suddenly changed the subject and whispered:

"It's just that your cultivation level is too weak, young master. Those assassins could probably find you with a single Will Soul probe."

Xu Yuan chuckled and replied confidently:

"Those people haven't found me yet."

His Spirit Sight failed to detect any prying Qi.

As he spoke, Xu Yuan took out the Willowwood Ghost Blade that Tianyan had given him from his Sumeru Ring.

As soon as the Ghost Blade was drawn, an ominous aura instantly filled the entire courtyard, and a frenzied emotion spread through Qianxi's heart.

Qianxi's eyes narrowed slightly as she instantly suppressed her negative emotions, but a hint of apprehension appeared in her eyes.

With her cultivation level and eyesight, she couldn't see through the blade; in fact, she was affected by it.

The Prime Minister's Estate actually entrusted such a priceless weapon to a mere Soul Condensation cultivator?

Just as she was wondering what was going on, Qianxi saw the Third Young Master of the Prime Minister's Mansion twirl a series of sword flowers in the air.

Then,

"Puff."

He swung the demon blade back and plunged it into his own side.

Qianxi was taken aback.

Why is the Third Young Master master of the Prime Minister's Mansion suddenly starting to self-harm?

and,

With the effectiveness of such a bizarre weapon, even a slight scratch to the opponent's Soul Condensation cultivation level would be fatal.

"Buzz--"

An invisible aura emanated from the Ghost Blade, causing Xu Yuan's face to pal slightly as a powerful, chilling energy seeped into his body along the blade.

Even though they share the same origin, he is now finding it difficult to withstand the Qi of this Willowwood Ghost Blade.

However, for the sake of secrecy, he had no other choice.

Under Qianxi's astonished gaze, the Qi energy on Xu Yuan's body gradually disappeared until it vanished completely.

Qianxi blinked her beautiful eyes, and her sexy red lips parted slightly:

"This is."

Xu Yuan, his face pale, put the Willowwood Ghost Blade back into his Sumeru Ring. While circulating his internal energy to stop the bleeding, he whispered:

"With the help of Secret Method, this ghost blade can suppress the vitality of the living, making them like withered bones, so that they cannot be sensed by external Qi."

"Secret Method?"

Qianxi glanced sideways.

She didn't understand why Soul Condensation Realm could use such a high-level technique.

Xu Yuan didn't bother to explain to the woman, casually replying, "It's a secret of the Prime Minister's Mansion."

This Secret Method was created by himself in the illusion to escape the pursuit of Tianye and Heavenly Oversight Pavilion.

He is only able to use this technique now because the Blood Origin Heart-Fall Technique absorbed a portion of the Saint-level Yin Source; otherwise, he would have died the moment the Ghost Blade pierced his body.

Seeing Qianxi didn't press the matter further.

"It was Qianxi who overstepped her bounds."

Xu Yuan waved his hand dismissively, and as he walked towards the courtyard gate, he asked:

"You managed to follow us all the way to Huizhou County without Lou Ji's knowledge, so I shouldn't need to worry about your concealment techniques, right?"

Qianxi smiled slightly and followed Xu Yuan slowly:

"Third Young Master, please rest assured about this matter. I am quite confident in my ability to conceal myself, but..."

At this point, she paused slightly, then asked with a hint of confusion:

"Young master, with such skills, why don't you find a secret room to hide in? Those assassins shouldn't be able to find you."

Xu Yuan chuckled softly, glancing up at the sky, which was now enveloped by the City Protection Array:

"They may not be able to find it."

"Then you."

"But they can massacre an entire city."

After leaving the courtyard and walking out of the alley, Qianxi quietly stole a carriage, left a dozen taels of silver for the unconscious victim, and then drove Xu Yuan towards the direction of the Exotic Beast Bureau.

The carriage was the lowest grade of civilian carriage.

It was an ordinary ponies with an ordinary apricot wood carriage. The wheels underneath were already quite old, and even when traveling on a smooth official road, the ride was still a bit bumpy.

However, Xu Yuan didn't have time to worry about comfort at this moment; the most common carriages on the street were the least likely to attract attention.

As they drove along, the chaos and hustle and bustle on the streets continued, but compared to the beginning, there were now some low-level martial artists on the streets who had begun to maintain order.

They weren't government constables, but rather martial arts practitioners dressed as retainers of gentry.

It seems that Little White must have put in the effort.

For Little White, a "country bumpkin" from a poor area, this prosperous city of Huizhou County will eventually be her territory. Both the people and the goods are rare resources that she must cherish and protect.

Aside from the chaos among the mortals on the ground, the divine battle between Lou Ji and the woman in the black dress continued.

However, apart from the assassins and Qianxi, no one else in Huizhou County, including Xu Yuan, could see the two fighting.

All they could hear was the unsettling roar that kept exploding in the sky, and the ripples that kept spreading across the emerald green canopy formed by the City Protection Array.

If it weren't for this City Protection Array, the aftershocks of Lou Ji's battle with the woman in the black dress alone would probably have razed Huizhou County to the ground ten or more times.

Thinking to himself, Xu Yuan looked up at the sky, then looked down at his palm and sighed softly.

If he were still at the level of cultivation he had in the illusion, if he were still in his original form as Strange Ghost being, the situation wouldn't be like this.

"Kid, what are you doing at the Mystic Eagle Pavilion?"

My thoughts were interrupted by a voice echoing in my heart, "That place probably isn't very safe."

"Of course I know it's unsafe."

Coming to his senses, Xu Yuan glanced at the Blood God Stone Pendant hanging on his chest and replied with a smile, "But the most dangerous place is often the safest, isn't it?"

Luo Xiran a soft snort, her tone somewhat helpless:

"Hmph, don't try to fool me with your nonsense."

Xu Yuan was silent for a moment, the image of the woman in the black dress appearing in his mind:

"Okay, actually, that woman in the black dress just now looked somewhat familiar to me."

"Look familiar?"

Luo Xiran a slight doubt, "You were able to recognize that woman even though she was wearing a mask?"

"No, it was her powerful beam spell that reminded me of someone I used to know."

"Old friend?"

"Um."

Xu Yuan responded, thinking to himself that he was an old friend he had met in his previous life in Cangyuan.

Luo Xiran's voice was somewhat strange. "How old are you to be talking about old friends? You should know how dangerous this trip is. If we run into those assassins, neither I nor this girl can protect you."

Xu Yuan let out a long breath and chuckled as he transmitted his voice:

"If they can't find me, they'll just indiscriminately massacre the city anyway. I might as well do something I can now."

After speaking, Luo Xiran silent for a moment, then sighed:

I hope you understand.

Xu Yuan chuckled softly:

"Don't worry, I..."

"Third Young Master, something has happened to the Exotic Beast Bureau!"

Before she could finish speaking, Qianxi's clear voice, tinged with slight confusion, suddenly entered the carriage.

Xu Yuan frowned and subconsciously pulled back the carriage curtain to look in the direction of the Exotic Beast Bureau.

As if to confirm Qianxi's reminder, a white light suddenly burst forth in the sky in the direction Xu Yuan was looking.

Then,

A mushroom cloud of flames slowly rose, and the resulting shockwave leveled several surrounding city blocks!

A massive heatwave surged in, and the emerald green canopy formed by the City Protection Array dimmed slightly due to the impact. Even Xu Yuan, who was several miles away, could vaguely feel the immense temperature within it.

Staring blankly at the sudden release of magic, Xu Yuan subconsciously felt that the people from the Heavenly Oversight Pavilion had gone mad.

According to common sense,

Using large-scale destructive magic to massacre the city could indeed force him to come out—after all, he'd have to fight back if magic hit him head-on—but this should only be a last resort. Why did these people start massacring the city without even searching for him?

While Xu Yuan was still in a state of astonishment and confusion,

An old, withered voice, filled with madness, echoed throughout the entire Huizhou County:

"Kill! All of you must die!! Hahahahahahaha!!!!"

7k

I bet with my author friend that I'll write 150,000 words this month, and I've already reached the 20+ patron leader level.

From now on, we have to go seven days a week, or we'll lose.