Dozens of Holy Demon God Sect followers trembled all over.
An old man at the peak of the Eighth-Rank Grandmaster level stood at the very front. His disguise had completely fallen away.
Beneath it, he wore a dark-red sect robe, its lapel embroidered with twisted Demon Runes.
He was the strongest among them and the commander of the Blood Sacrifice plan.
At that moment, only one thought filled his mind.
It was over.
It was completely over.
They had hidden so deeply and disguised themselves so well that even the Demon Suppressing Division hadn't found a trace of them after months of investigation.
But this Prince Wu'an... from last night to tonight, in less than a day,
had first wiped out the Capital Branch Sect, where the Red Python Sect Leader had been stationed, and now had rounded up every one of them who had been lying low on the outskirts.
All their plans and preparations were nothing but paper before this man!
Yet the instinct to survive still drove the old man to speak.
"Saint Venerable Changqing! Wait!"
His voice trembled, and cold sweat streamed down his forehead.
"We admit defeat! We really do!"
He dropped to his knees with a thump, and the dozens of followers behind him followed suit.
"Please, Saint Venerable, show mercy! We swear we'll never set foot in Capital City again! No, never set foot in the Great Yu Dynasty again!"
"We'll disappear and live under assumed names. We'll stay out of your way! Saint Venerable, you're a magnanimous man. Spare our lives!"
Lin Changqing's mouth twitched when he heard that.
Then he laughed aloud.
"Are you making a wish?"
He looked down at the old man, who was kowtowing like he was pounding garlic, his eyes full of mockery.
"If I let you go, you'll never set foot in Capital City again?"
"If I kill you, you won't be able to set foot in Capital City either, will you?"
"So why should I go out of my way?"
As his words fell,
a vast, suffocating Saintly Might burst from him.
Purple-gold light illuminated the entire wilderness. The clouds overhead scattered, and moonlight mingled with golden radiance.
The dozens of followers hadn't even had time to utter another word
before Lin Changqing raised his right hand and gave a light wave.
An invisible force swept across the wilderness like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
The bodies of dozens of people exploded at once, turning into clouds of blood mist.
There were no screams and no struggles.
Their flesh and blood evaporated in the purple-gold light, leaving not even a scrap of bone behind.
Only a faint trace of blood lingered in the air. The night wind blew it away in an instant.
The people who had been kneeling there moments earlier had vanished without a trace.
Lin Changqing lowered his hand and stood with his hands behind his back.
"A bunch of ants think they can bargain with me."
The wilderness fell quiet again, with only the rustle of wind through the grass.
Meanwhile,
six Blood Sacrifice Array nodes within Capital City were destroyed at almost the same moment.
Sixth Ancestor Su Tianheng's figure flickered through the night. Each time he appeared, another altar collapsed.
The blood-colored runes shattered beneath the silvery-white Saintly Might, and the sinister-looking magical artifacts were smashed to pieces with a single palm strike.
The martial artists held prisoner near the altars were rescued one by one.
Just as the final array node was destroyed,
the system notification rang in Lin Changqing's mind.
["Ding! Random mission complete: Stop the Holy Demon God Sect and demons' plot during the Flower Deity Festival, foil the Blood Sacrifice plan, and prevent the Demon Saint's clone from descending (1/1)."] ["Reward obtained: Four Symbols Holy Guards—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise."] ["Would the host like to claim the reward now?"]
The corners of Lin Changqing's mouth lifted slightly.
This was exactly what he'd been waiting for.
"Claim it now."
The instant the thought crossed his mind,
four Spatial Rifts tore open in the wilderness before him, each several zhang tall.
Different colors shone from within them—azure, gold, crimson, and blue.
The four beams of light intertwined, illuminating the entire wilderness as if it were broad daylight.
Vast Saintly Might surged from all four rifts at once. The pressure was so intense that the surrounding air quivered violently.
Then,
four figures stepped out of the rifts together.
On the far left stood an azure figure, whose armor overlapped like dragon scales. Azure wood-element Spiritual Power flowed faintly between the plates.
On the far right stood a white figure, whose sharply defined armor bore tiger-stripe patterns. A keen, metallic aura filled the space around him.
Between them on the left stood a crimson figure. Flame-like patterns rippled across her armor, and the heat around her made the air distort.
Between them on the right stood a deep-blue figure. His armor was as heavy as a mountain, its surface covered in tortoise-shell patterns, as steady as the earth.
All four radiated the aura of early Ninth-tier Martial Saints!
As they stepped from the rifts together,
their vast Saintly Might made the spirit beasts across dozens of li fall to the ground, trembling!
But in the next instant,
the auras of all four receded completely, without a trace escaping.
In perfect unison, they knelt on one knee and pressed their right fists to their chests.
"Greetings, Master!"
Their voices rang out in unison, full of reverence and loyalty from the depths of their souls.
Lin Changqing sized up the four people before him.
Three men and one woman.
Azure Dragon was a slender, handsome man with long hair bound by an azure jade crown. His gaze was as steady as a deep pool.
White Tiger was a burly, broad-shouldered man with a rugged face and short white hair that stood straight up.
Vermilion Bird was the only woman among them. Tall and graceful, she had a cascade of crimson hair that fell to her waist like flames. Her beautiful face still held a valiant edge.
Black Tortoise was a solidly built man with broad shoulders and a mild, steady expression. His skin was a burnished bronze.
Lin Changqing nodded in satisfaction.
He could feel four more bonds in his soul, just like the one Golden Radiance had given him.
Absolute loyalty, unshakable!
"Get up."
All four rose in perfect unison, their movements still precisely coordinated.
Lin Changqing thought for a moment, then added,
"From now on, don't call me Master. It sounds awkward. Just call me Your Highness."
The four answered together again, without the slightest hesitation.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Lin Changqing asked another question.
"Do you have names?"
Azure Dragon cupped his fists and answered on behalf of all four.
"Your Highness, when we came into being, we were given only the titles of the Four Symbols. We have no names. We ask Your Highness to grant us names."
Lin Changqing nodded, his gaze moving over them one by one.
"Then let's keep it simple. You'll take my surname, Lin."
He pointed first to Azure Dragon.
"You command the power of Azure Dragon, so you'll be called Lin Long."
Then he pointed to White Tiger.
"You command the power of White Tiger. Your name will be Lin Hu."
Next, he pointed to Vermilion Bird.
"You command the power of Vermilion Bird. Your name will be Lin Que."
Finally, he pointed to Black Tortoise.
"You command the power of Black Tortoise. Your name will be Lin Wu."
"The names are simple and easy to remember. What do you think?"
A glimmer flashed in all four of their eyes. They knelt on one knee again.
"Thank you, Your Highness, for granting us names!"
Their voices rang out even more powerfully than before. They were clearly pleased with their new names.
Lin Changqing nodded and looked over the four of them.
Their armor was imposing and majestic, but if they showed up in Capital City dressed like that, they would draw far too much attention.
"Can you put away your armor?"
"Yes."
The four answered and focused their minds at the same time.
Their Four Symbols Armor turned into four streams of light and vanished into their bodies.
In its place appeared four sets of simple, everyday clothes.
Lin Long wore an azure robe, Lin Hu a white robe, Lin Que a red dress, and Lin Wu black clothes.
They looked like four ordinary martial artists of uncommon bearing.
Lin Changqing nodded in satisfaction.
"Remember, when you're in public, say you were my followers back when I lived in seclusion."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The four answered in unison.
Lin Changqing raised a hand and slashed at the empty space before him. Space split open.
"Let's go. Follow me back to Capital City."
He stepped into the rift.
The Four Symbols Holy Guards followed close behind, and all five figures vanished above the wilderness.
In Capital City, at the North City Abandoned City God Temple,
Sixth Ancestor Su Tianheng had just destroyed the final Blood Sacrifice altar. He was directing several Demon Suppression Guards to carry the rescued martial artists out of the cellar.
Most of them were pale and weak, with traces of their life essence having been drained by the Blood Sacrifice Array still visible on them.
Several who were more seriously injured had already fallen unconscious.
But at least they were all still alive.
Just then, a Spatial Rift tore open beside him.
Lin Changqing stepped out, followed by four unfamiliar men and women of uncommon bearing.
When Sixth Ancestor saw Lin Changqing, a smile appeared on his face.
"Prince Wu'an."
He cupped his hands, his tone a little more relaxed.
"Judging by your expression, you've taken care of those rats."
Lin Changqing nodded.
"Not one left alive."
Sixth Ancestor showed no surprise at that.
With Lin Changqing's strength, dozens of Seventh- and Eighth-Rank followers were no different from dozens of ants before him.
He could wipe them out with a single turn of his hand.
His gaze settled on the four unfamiliar men and women behind Lin Changqing, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"And who are these people?"
Lin Changqing turned slightly and introduced them simply.
"Lin Long, Lin Hu, Lin Que, and Lin Wu. They were my followers when I lived in seclusion. They've just arrived in Capital City today."
All four cupped their fists together in perfect unison.
"Greetings, Boundless Saint Emperor."
Sixth Ancestor studied them and nodded inwardly.
Though they kept their auras well concealed, their steady, mountain-like bearing showed that they were no ordinary people.
At the very least, they were top experts among Eighth-Rank Grandmasters!
But given Lin Changqing's status and strength, having a few followers was only natural.
He withdrew his gaze and pointed toward the martial artists being carried out.
"They destroyed the entire Blood Sacrifice Array. Not a single one of its six nodes was missed. They also rescued the warriors who'd been captured as sacrifices—twenty-three people in total."
He paused and sighed.
"Eleven of them were elite disciples or elders from various sects, abducted while traveling to gain experience or carrying out missions. Their injuries aren't serious, and they'll recover after resting for a while."
"The other twelve were warriors forcibly cultivated through their evil methods. Their meridians are severely damaged. A few had already stopped breathing by the time I arrived, but most of them can still be saved."
Lin Changqing glanced at the stretchers being carried out and frowned slightly.
The warriors still bore traces of the Blood Sacrifice Array's evil aura, and much of their blood essence had been drained.
Some of them were so weak that their auras were almost imperceptible.
Lin Changqing stepped forward and raised his right hand.
A gentle purple-gold light spilled from his palm, transforming into specks of Light Rain.
The Light Rain fell upon the injured warriors and seeped into their bodies.
The warriors, whose faces had been pale and whose auras had been faint, regained their color at a visible speed.
Several who had been unconscious even opened their eyes right away.
"This... this is..."
"My injuries are healed? My meridians don't hurt anymore!"
"The power of a Martial Saint! A Martial Saint is healing us!"
The rescued warriors struggled to sit up.
When they saw the person standing before them, their eyes instantly reddened.
"I-is that Prince Wu'an?!"
A middle-aged Rogue Cultivator, who looked like a lone wanderer, was so excited his voice trembled.
"Prince Wu'an saved us! Thank you, Prince Wu'an, for saving our lives!"
He dropped to his knees and knocked his head heavily against the ground.
The other warriors also knelt, their voices hoarse.
"Thank you, Prince Wu'an, for saving our lives!"
"We'll never forget Prince Wu'an's great kindness!"
Lin Changqing lowered his hand and spoke calmly.
"Get up, all of you. Rest and recover."
Watching this scene, Sixth Ancestor's face held a trace of emotion.
He cupped his hands toward Lin Changqing.
"Prince Wu'an, leave these warriors to me to arrange for. The Demon Suppressing Division will continue investigating the Holy Demon God Sect."
Lin Changqing nodded.
"Then I'll leave it to the Boundless Saint Emperor."
He turned to Lin Long and the others.
"You four stay here with Sixth Ancestor and help out. If there's anything you can do, lend a hand."
He paused, then added quietly to the four of them,
"Once you're finished, just return to the prince's residence."
A knowing glint passed through their eyes, and they all cupped their fists.
"Yes, Your Highness."
After giving them his instructions, Lin Changqing raised a hand and tore open space, stepping through.
In the Imperial Garden, before the lantern platform.
The Flower Deity Lantern Festival had just reached its liveliest moment. Su Wanqing stood on the lantern platform and personally lit the final blessing lantern.
The enormous Lotus Lantern slowly rose into the air, illuminating the entire Imperial Garden.
The people below the platform erupted in cheers.
"Long live Princess Yunshu!"
"May the Flower Deity bless us with peace and prosperity!"
Su Wanqing smiled and waved to the people, then stepped down from the platform.
As soon as she reached the bottom step, she saw a familiar figure waiting at the foot of the stairs.
Black robes, black hair, the Green Peak Sword hanging at his waist.
Moonlight and lantern glow mingled over him, revealing his clear, handsome features.
A smile bloomed across Su Wanqing's face, though a trace of worry still lingered in her eyes.
She hurried over and asked in a hushed voice,
"Saint Venerable! How did things go on your end?"
Seeing her expression, so hopeful yet nervous, Lin Changqing smiled.
"Everything's taken care of."
Su Wanqing's eyes lit up at once.
"Really?! Those people..."
"Everyone who needed killing has been killed, and everyone who needed saving has been rescued."
Lin Changqing spoke calmly.
"Sixth Ancestor is handling the aftermath. The Flower Deity Festival can go on, so don't worry."
Su Wanqing let out a long breath, and at last, a truly relieved smile appeared on her face.
"That's wonderful!"
She looked at Lin Changqing, her admiration and gratitude plain to see.
"Saint Venerable, you're incredible! They were so well hidden, but you knew exactly how many of them there were, where they were, and what they were planning!"
Her eyes sparkled, her voice brimming with a young girl's excitement.
"I have to tell you, I was so nervous up there just now. I knew in my heart that everything would be fine with you around, but I still couldn't help worrying. Now it's all right! We can finally enjoy the festival!"
Watching her excitement, Lin Changqing's lips curved slightly.
"The Flower Deity Festival isn't over yet. Want to keep wandering around?"
Su Wanqing nodded vigorously.
"Yes!"
She was just about to leave when she noticed four unfamiliar figures standing at the entrance to the Imperial Garden behind Lin Changqing.
Three men and one woman, all simply dressed yet carrying an air of distinction.
They were Lin Long, Lin Hu, Lin Que, and Lin Wu.
After helping Sixth Ancestor, they had quietly returned to the Imperial Garden.
The four stood there, neither speaking nor looking around. They simply waited in silence.
They kept their presence low, but Su Wanqing still noticed them at a glance.
"Saint Venerable, who are they?"
Su Wanqing asked curiously.
Lin Changqing glanced back at them, his tone casual.
"They followed me back when I was living in seclusion."
"They just arrived in the Capital City today. They'll be staying with me from now on."
Su Wanqing didn't ask any further questions. She simply nodded.
She trusted Lin Changqing almost blindly. If he said they were followers, then followers they were.
Lin Changqing turned and waved at the four.
"It's the Flower Deity Festival today. You can go look around too; you don't need to follow me the whole time. You don't get to visit the Capital City every day, so enjoy yourselves."
The four exchanged glances for a moment.
Lin Long and Lin Hu looked at each other. Lin Que's mouth twitched slightly, while Lin Wu scratched his head with an honest grin.
Was His Highness... courting a girl?
Following him all this way really had been getting in the way.
All four cupped their fists at once, their voices still respectful.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Then they turned and discreetly disappeared into the crowd.
Seeing the knowing looks on their faces, Su Wanqing's cheeks reddened slightly.
But she said nothing, only smiling with her lips pressed together.
The two walked side by side out of the Imperial Garden and strolled leisurely along the lantern-lit street.
The lanterns lining both sides of the street shone brighter than they had at dusk. Their dazzling variety of shapes and designs made it hard to take them all in.
Lin Changqing stopped at a lantern stall and glanced at the different lanterns hanging from the rack.
He casually picked up a Rabbit Lantern and handed it to Su Wanqing.
"This one's pretty cute. It's a little like you."
Su Wanqing took the Rabbit Lantern and lowered her gaze to the adorably chubby little rabbit.
Her cheeks flushed slightly, but she couldn't suppress the curve of her smile.
"Is it?"
She looked up at Lin Changqing, her eyes sparkling in the lantern light.
"How does it look like me? I'm obviously much prettier than it is."
Lin Changqing laughed.
"Fine. If you say you're prettier, then you're prettier."
The two walked side by side, continuing toward the liveliest part of the Flower Deity Festival.
Before you continue