Killing to Silence

Gu Zhao did not go on a killing spree in the Golden Wind Hall.

The leaders from Changping Prefecture, Ren Tianhe, and the local Sub-altar Divine General, Hong Xin, had already been killed by him. The rest were just ordinary thugs, killing them would be pointless.

Although the Golden Wind Sect was an evil cult, the ordinary members at the bottom might not all be bad people. Cultivating the Dao and the heart, indiscriminate killing was not the way of a Daoist. He himself would also have lingering attachments and his soul would be tainted.

Therefore, he only used a Wind Thunder Talisman to throw the Golden Wind Hall into utter chaos, then calmly leaped over the wall and left.

Painter Lu sat comfortably in his studio, nodding his head and admiring his own work.

"What a pity about Brother Zhang," Painter Lu sighed as he looked at the young scholar in green in the painting.

"Indeed, it's a pity. Whether it's Hong You or Tian Feng, he's doomed," another voice suddenly echoed from the quiet room. "A bunch of people with no artistic pursuit."

"If it were Hong You, he would at least die without pain," Painter Lu mused leisurely, then couldn't help but shiver. "But if it's Tian Feng..."

"Shameless! Rude!" another voice, somewhat agitated, screeched as if recalling something. "Such a handsome young man is going to be defiled by that crude brute!"

"Exactly. Unlike us, we only capture his likeness in a painting and then lock his soul within. He will forever be as graceful and elegant, never tainted by the mortal world," Painter Lu said with emotion.

"This transcendent realm, those crude men and licentious women who only seek carnal pleasure can never comprehend it!" the other voice scorned.

"I hope the opponent the Golden Wind Sect has encountered this time is formidable. Preferably, they'll take down the Golden Wind Sect too," Painter Lu's lips curved into a slight arc.

"The opponent the Golden Wind Sect has encountered this time is likely not weak. I heard their Golden Wind Divine King's incense statue was stolen, and Protector Black Zetsu has also gone missing," the other voice said. "I wonder how many protectors will show up this time."

"What kind of protector was Ren Tianhe?" a voice suddenly asked.

"Ren Tianhe was the Tian Feng Prot—" Painter Lu instinctively replied, then suddenly jolted awake and turned around sharply.

"Creeeak—"

The studio door was pushed open, and the handsome young man who had been led away by Hong Xin appeared at the entrance. He smiled and looked around the studio curiously, "Who was speaking just now? I only heard a voice, but saw no one?"

Painter Lu looked at Gu Zhao with disbelief. "How did you get back?"

"He escaped from Ren Tianhe!" another voice shrieked.

This time, Gu Zhao saw clearly. The voice was coming from the bamboo basket Painter Lu had placed in the corner.

Painter Lu was startled and finally reacted. He flipped his palm, and the nearby table levitated into the air and was flung towards Gu Zhao, obscuring the view between them.

Gu Zhao split the table in half with a chop of his palm. Then, Painter Lu held a scroll in his hand, made a gesture in the air with his right hand, and pointed at Gu Zhao, "Young Master Lan, please make your move!"

The next moment, a semi-transparent figure of a man in green emerged from the painting.

This man was identical to the one in the painting, dressed in a green robe, refined and handsome. However, his eyes had changed from the sorrow in the painting to a look of ferocity, completely devoid of reason. The paper umbrella in his hand transformed into a sword, bringing with it gusts of chilling sword energy, stabbing directly at Gu Zhao.

Gu Zhao ignored him, instead forming the Heavenly Thunder Seal and chanting a thunder incantation, "Let lightning chase lightning, with heaven and earth as my eyes. All directions are righteous..."

Just as the green-clothed man's umbrella-sword reached less than three feet from Gu Zhao, a surge of Gang Qi imbued with Sun Moon Heavenly Light suddenly rose from Gu Zhao's body. It then transformed into a torrent, rushing towards the green-clothed man.

"Bang!"

The green-clothed man, along with his umbrella, was sent flying backward by the impact, becoming even more transparent.

Meanwhile, Gu Zhao had already aimed his palm at Painter Lu, who was holding the bamboo basket.

"Boom!"

Painter Lu had just pulled out a scroll from the bamboo basket and hadn't even opened it before he was blasted into smithereens by the Palm Thunder. A wisp of soul from the scroll also dissipated.

Moreover, the scroll could not withstand the power of the Palm Thunder at all. Purple lightning spread to Painter Lu's body. The lightning entered his body, striking him until smoke rose from him, tearing his internal meridians, and severely damaging his sea of consciousness.

"Ah!"

Painter Lu screamed and reached for another scroll in the bamboo basket.

The next moment, a white light rose from the scroll and instantly enveloped Painter Lu. His injuries began to heal at a visible rate, repairing his torn meridians and damaged sea of consciousness.

"It's a Great Mage! Run!"

A voice from the scroll rang out, and Painter Lu was about to flee, but a spark of fire suddenly flew from behind him and landed on him. It instantly transformed into a net of fire, enveloping him and the scroll together.

"Ahhh! Ahhh!" Painter Lu screamed along with the scroll.

"Mage, spare me! Mage, spare me!" Painter Lu curled up on the ground, rolling and begging for mercy.

White light emanated from the scroll, emitting waves of demonic energy, trying to tear through the net of fire.

Gu Zhao formed a sword finger with his right hand, channeling his Mana from a distance. The Fire Shield Technique continued to compress the scroll's white light layer by layer. Finally, it reached the edge of the scroll, and a wisp of smoke rose from the corner.

"Yiya! Yiya! Stop burning, stop burning, I'm dying!" the scroll shouted loudly.

"What are you?" Gu Zhao asked curiously.

It was clearly a painting. If it were a ghostly creature possessing it, why would there be demonic energy?

"I'm a Painting Demon! I'm a Painting Demon!" the scroll shrieked. "Mage, spare me, don't burn me. If you burn my true form, I'll die too!"

"It really is a monster? Tell me your origins clearly, or I'll burn you to death," Gu Zhao's sword finger remained still, the Fire Shield Technique's flames burning continuously.

"Yes, yes, yes!" Painter Lu nodded repeatedly.

It turned out that the Painting Demon's true form was a scroll painting of a man that had gained sentience. It prided itself on its handsome and elegant appearance. After forming a Soul-Bond with Painter Lu, they could cooperate. Painter Lu would paint, and the Painting Demon would cast spells, locking the souls of other handsome men onto the painting.

In this way, not only can the Painting Demon's main body absorb the elegant temperament of those men, but it can also absorb their soul power to aid the cultivation of the one person and one demon, while simultaneously refining them into Painting Souls to serve as combat weapons.

"What the hell..." Gu Zhao was speechless. Usually, when people talked about bookworm Painting Demons, they were scholars and aesthetes. How could this Painting Demon be so sinister?

"Mage, spare my life! I can make you even more elegant, handsome, and extraordinary!" While begging for mercy, the Painting Demon also tried to tempt Gu Zhao. "At that time, you'll only need a glance to make women swoon."

Gu Zhao's eyes lit up, "Really?"

"Really!" Seeing hope, Painter Lu nodded repeatedly. "At that time, you can do whatever you want!"

Gu Zhao nodded, his expression suddenly changed. "Are you guys implying that I can't attract girls with just my face?"

"To dare insult me is a crime punishable by death!"

"Ah?"

"No..."

"Boom!"

Thanks to fellow Daoist 20240708215556222 for the 100 reward.