Undercurrents Surge, The Holy Demon God Sect's Revenge!

Golden Radiance turned its head.

It glanced at her with those large, golden eyes.

Then, it snorted, exhaling a puff of hot air laced with golden electric arcs.

Su Wanqing was startled, but upon realizing the Qilin held no malice, the tension on her face slowly melted into a smile.

"Its scales are so warm!"

Growing bolder, she reached out with both hands and stroked the back of Golden Radiance's neck.

Enjoying the touch, Golden Radiance let out a low, rumbling purr from its throat.

Watching this scene, Lin Changqing suddenly spoke up.

"Would you like to ride together and take a turn? The Flower Deity Festival doesn't begin until evening, so we can wander around the Capital City first."

Su Wanqing's hands froze in mid-air as she turned to look at Lin Changqing.

Her eyes went round, and her voice was filled with pleasant surprise.

"R-really? I can ride it too?"

Lin Changqing chuckled.

"Naturally."

Su Wanqing was so happy she nearly jumped, and she hurriedly turned to instruct the accompanying palace maids and guards.

"You all go back first! Tell the Emperor that I am with Prince Wu'an, so there is no need to worry!"

Watching her princess's excited state, Cuier couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.

"Yes, Princess."

The entourage bowed and took their leave, though they couldn't help but steal a few more glances at the majestic Qilin before departing.

Lin Changqing vaulted onto the back of Golden Radiance and extended a hand toward Su Wanqing.

"Come up."

Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly as she placed her hand in Lin Changqing's palm.

With a gentle pull from Lin Changqing, she sat lightly upon the Qilin's back.

She sat right in front of Lin Changqing.

With the two of them sharing the mount, they were close enough that Su Wanqing could smell the faint scent of sandalwood on Lin Changqing.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, and the tips of her ears grew warm.

She stole a sideways glance at Lin Changqing behind her.

His profile was sharply defined, and the morning light spilling across his face made him look as if he were glowing.

Su Wanqing quickly turned her head back, not daring to look again.

Yet, she could not suppress the curve of her lips.

"Hold on tight."

Lin Changqing patted the neck of Golden Radiance.

Golden Radiance threw its head back and let out a clear cry, its four hooves stepping on golden thunder as it soared into the sky.

Su Wanqing felt as if she were being lifted by a gentle force.

The scenery below plummeted away, and the sound of rushing wind filled her ears.

However, an invisible barrier of protective energy surrounded the back of Golden Radiance, blocking the gale entirely.

All that remained was the comfortable sensation of a gentle breeze brushing against her face.

The Qilin flew higher and higher, and the Capital City beneath their feet grew smaller and smaller.

Su Wanqing looked down, seeing the orderly streets, the rows of houses, and the pedestrians moving like ants along the roads.

This feeling was completely different from sitting in the dragon carriage.

In the dragon carriage, one was carried by others and stifled inside a cabin where nothing could be seen.

But now, she felt like a free bird, soaring through the sky.

"It's so high!"

She couldn't help but shout, her voice brimming with excitement.

Watching her joy, the corners of Lin Changqing's mouth lifted slightly.

"Would you like to see outside the city? The scenery is even better there."

"Yes!"

Su Wanqing nodded vigorously, answering happily.

With a stomp of its hooves, Golden Radiance flew toward the outskirts of the Capital City.

At the entrance of the manor, Uncle Liu and Cuier stood side by side, watching the golden figure as it faded into the distance.

Cuier pressed her palms together, her face a mix of envy and wonder.

"Uncle Liu, don't you think our Prince and the Princess are a perfect match?"

Uncle Liu stroked his beard, his smile kind and gentle.

"A talented man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven. In all my years, I have never seen a pair more suited for each other than our Prince and Princess Yunshu."

Cuier nodded vigorously.

"Exactly! And did you see the Princess's expression earlier? When the Prince asked her to ride the Qilin with him, she was so happy she nearly jumped for joy! I've served the Princess in the palace for so many years, and this is the first time I've seen her so delighted."

Uncle Liu chuckled.

"The Prince is usually indifferent toward everyone, yet he shows a rare bit of patience for the Princess."

"This old servant thinks there is a real chance here."

The two exchanged a look, both wearing knowing smiles.

Meanwhile.

In the Capital City, on a bustling street in the southern district.

This was the most famous bazaar in the Capital, with the sides of the road packed with various stalls.

There were vendors selling candied haws, handmade wood carvings, rouge and powder, and protective talismans.

The cries of hawkers rose and fell, and the crowd surged like a tide.

In an inconspicuous corner, a peddler selling handmade wood carvings was busy organizing his wares.

His stall was filled with small, intricately carved wooden trinkets, all reasonably priced.

He looked like an ordinary craftsman.

But when the golden Qilin flew across the sky, he looked up, his gaze following the golden light for a long time.

Deep within his eyes flashed a flicker of intense hatred and killing intent.

That fellow Red Python was dead, and the branch he had spent so much effort establishing had been uprooted entirely.

Every single cultist had been killed.

Even the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, whom they had painstakingly turned, had been captured, with his entire clan sentenced to execution.

All of this was because of the Evergreen Saint Venerable, Lin Changqing!

"Damn that Evergreen Saint Venerable..."

His voice was extremely low, audible only to himself.

"If the branch here still existed, tonight's plan would have at least a seventy percent chance of success. With Sect Leader Red Python's cooperation, the underground palace as a retreat, sufficient manpower to set up the formation, and Qian Youde providing intelligence."

"But now, with only those of us lurking on the periphery left, the difficulty of tonight's plan has increased several times over..."

He took a deep breath and set down the wood carving in his hand.

His gaze returned to the golden speck in the sky, which was now nearly invisible.

To be precise, he was looking at the figure in the light pink dress on the Qilin's back.

Princess Yunshu, Su Wanqing.

According to the news today, she was the one representing the royal family at this year's Flower Deity Festival to celebrate with the common people.

"Evergreen Saint Venerable, you are truly formidable. A Ninth-Rank Martial Saint Peak, killing Sect Leader Red Python with a single sword strike, and even having a pure-blooded Qilin—long thought to be extinct—descend from the sky to acknowledge you as its master."

A cold, sinister curve touched the corners of his mouth.

"But no matter how powerful you are... you cannot protect everyone."

"You care about that Princess Yunshu, don't you? Very well, I will let you watch with your own eyes how she..."

Just then, a middle-aged woman walked up to his stall with a child.

"Boss, how much for this little tiger?"

The gloom on the peddler's face vanished instantly, replaced by an honest, simple-minded smile.

"Three coppers each, two for five."

His voice was warm and natural, a complete transformation from the gnashing traitor of a moment ago.

"Alright, give me two, one tiger and one rabbit."

The woman paid and led the child away.

The peddler watched them leave with a smile, then lowered his head to continue fiddling with his wood carvings.

Yet, in his downcast eyes, a cold, murderous intent still flickered faintly.

At the same time.

Deep within a private residence in the northern district of the Capital City.

In an underground secret chamber, several people dressed in ordinary civilian clothes sat huddled around a stone table.

The candlelight on the table flickered, casting their faces in shifting light and shadow.

"Is everything prepared?"

The leader was an old man, appearing to be sixty or seventy years old with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles.

In the eyes of his neighbors, he was just a hawker selling candied haws, carrying his rack through the streets every day with a constant, beaming smile.

But at this moment, the smile had vanished from his face, replaced by a sinister and cold expression.

"Everything is ready."

A middle-aged woman beside him whispered.

"The altars have been set up in several of the busiest spots in the city. On the night of the Flower Deity Festival, these places will be the most crowded, making them perfect for our move."

Another young man continued.

"The offerings are also prepared. Once the formation is activated, the avatar of the Lifeless Demon Saint will be able to descend through these offerings."

He looked like an ordinary teahouse waiter, nimble and quick as he went about serving tea and water in his daily life.

"Very good."

The old man nodded, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

"Listen well."

"The branch sect is gone, and the Red Python Sect Leader is dead. Now, there are only a few of us left in the city, with no reinforcements and no way back."

His voice was low and grave.

"But tonight's operation must succeed; failure is not an option."

"The Lifeless Demon Saint has grown impatient. The branch sect kept delaying, claiming the timing wasn't right and that more preparation was needed."

"Well, now the branch sect is gone, and the Demon Saint no longer wishes to wait."

"Tonight, no matter the cost, we must complete the blood sacrifice formation and allow the Demon Saint's avatar to descend."

He looked at the middle-aged woman.

"Are there any issues with the altars?"

"None."

The woman shook her head.

"The Flower Deity Festival draws huge crowds. Our people will blend into the masses to activate the formations; the Demon Suppressing Division won't discover us in time. By the time they react, the Demon Saint's avatar will have already descended."

The old man turned his gaze to the young man.

"We will take advantage of the chaos in the Capital City to evacuate as quickly as possible."

The old man nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"It is a pity that we lack the manpower, and with the variable that is the Evergreen Saint Venerable, we cannot be one hundred percent certain of capturing the royal family member in charge of this year's Flower Deity Festival."

"Otherwise, Princess Yunshu, the old emperor's favorite, would have been our greatest bargaining chip..."

He stood up, bracing his hands against the stone table.

"Remember, this is the final chance the Demon Saint has given us. The branch sect is gone; if we botch tonight's operation as well, you all know what the consequences will be."

The people present nodded in silence.

They certainly knew; the Holy Demon God Sect never tolerated failure.

The Red Python Sect Leader died because his skills were inferior.

But if tonight's operation failed, even if they survived to return, their lives would be worse than death.

"Very well, go and prepare."

The old man waved his hand.

The group stood up and dispersed.

Only the old man remained in the secret chamber.

He looked down at the map of the Capital City on the table, where several locations were circled in red.

Those were the key nodes for tonight's blood sacrifice formation.

"Evergreen Saint Venerable..."

He muttered the name, his tone tinged with a hint of wariness, but filled mostly with frantic killing intent.

"Tonight at the Flower Deity Festival, the Lifeless Demon Saint will strike personally. Then you will realize just how foolish a decision it was to offend the Holy Demon Race and our Holy Demon God Sect!"