Chapter 247: Blackmail and Torment

“Who are you, and why are you impersonating my younger brother Shui Miao?”

Zhang Yuan’s face was cold and stern as he glared at Shui Miao, seemingly accusing him of wrongdoing. His disciples also stared at Shui Miao with fierce eyes, ready to attack at any moment.

Seeing this, the black snake demon rubbed his belly, which immediately shrank, then licked his lips, revealing a demon’s greed. It seemed as though he wanted to devour these Taoists, not leaving even their clothes behind.

Shui Miao did not respond immediately but instead spread his spiritual awareness. He soon discovered that not far underground, the City God Baiyang was hiding with a large group of ghost soldiers, all surrounding him from all directions. Shui Miao knew that his so-called elder brother, Zhang Yuan, was actually a very cunning earthly immortal. Outwardly righteous and noble, he was in fact a despicable sycophant who flattered those in power. Last time at the City God Temple, Shui Miao had already been betrayed by him. Now, he was acting as Baiyang’s vanguard to confront Shui Miao again—truly infuriating!

“You ask who you are? I am who I am.”

After waiting for two or three minutes, Shui Miao finally spoke slowly. He decided to stay calm and see what they were really up to. If they insisted on being unreasonable, he wouldn’t hold back either. After all, he had the protection of the five stone tablets—what did he have to fear?

In secret, however, Shui Miao used his mind to warn the black snake demon to be careful of a sneak attack.

“Hmph!”

Zhang Yuan waved his large sleeve, revealing a precious sword in his hand. Narrowing his eyes, he coldly said to Shui Miao, “I say you are a demon, a monster who kills innocently and disrupts the order of the three realms! Today, we will uphold justice and eliminate your evil. Come forth! Set up the formation!”

“Yes!”

The Taoists and ghosts shouted in unison, then quickly scattered outwards, setting up the Big Dipper Heaven-Sword Formation centered around the room.

Then Zhang Yuan coldly said again, “Demon, surrender now and avoid unnecessary suffering.”

“Hehe…”

Shui Miao smiled faintly and took a couple of steps toward Zhang Yuan, asking, “How much did Baiyang offer you for you to willingly become his henchman?”

“What! You…”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yuan’s eyes widened in surprise.

For cultivators, strength determines everything. One with strong sensing abilities must possess great power. Now that Shui Miao had sensed Baiyang, it proved that his strength far surpassed Baiyang’s. Zhang Yuan realized from Shui Miao’s words that he was definitely no match for him, at best just a pawn.

“What I said, you should understand in your heart…” Shui Miao shook his head and sighed, “I’ve always regarded you as my elder brother. Before, now, and maybe even in the future. But if you insist on choosing to side with those who wrongfully harm your own brother, willingly becoming someone else’s henchman, risking your life and those of your disciples against me, then I really can’t help you anymore.”

As he spoke, Shui Miao suddenly summoned his scimitar.

This scimitar from the Realm of Rakshasa was personally forged by the great artisan Luo Tong of Rakshasa. It was a holy and demonic blade for slaying demons and evil spirits.

The living could not see this blade, but ghosts could.

Seeing the blade, Zhang Yuan was immediately terrified and began to retreat.

Feeling the terrifying demonic power of the blade from afar, Baiyang also couldn’t help but frown.

“You… you really are Shui Miao?” Zhang Yuan, a cunning and slippery character by nature, naturally did not want to antagonize a powerful being just to please Baiyang. He hesitated, “This can’t be. I know my younger brother Shui Miao’s cultivation well. Your aura is completely different from his. You’re definitely not him! What’s going on here, what’s happening?”

Zhang Yuan put on an act of confusion and innocence.

But at this moment, Baiyang suddenly sent him a telepathic message, “Have your men attack. Once he injures your disciples, we can all kill this kid together, and then that precious blade will be yours.”

Temptation—absolute temptation.

Sacrificing one disciple to obtain a precious blade was a deal well worth making.

So Zhang Yuan’s thoughts shifted again.

Shui Miao smiled slightly at Zhang Yuan, “Elder brother, stop pretending. With your cultivation, you should be able to recognize me. If I’ve improved so much in such a short time, don’t you think there’s a reason for it?” Although Shui Miao was not afraid of Baiyang and his group, Baiyang was the City God. If they really fought and injured the ghost soldiers, it might alert the underworld, which would complicate matters.

Therefore, Shui Miao still wanted to placate Zhang Yuan.

Hearing this, Zhang Yuan hesitated again. He knew that Shui Miao must have a powerful mentor behind him—someone far beyond his ability to provoke.

“Zhang Yuan, what are you doing? Don’t be intimidated by him. Even if he has a powerful backer, can it rival the entire underworld? Kill him, and I’ll guarantee you become the next City God. If you don’t listen to me, we’ll go our separate ways, and you won’t be welcome in my jurisdiction anymore.” Baiyang hated Shui Miao deeply—not just for any reason, but because Heishan Laomu was his senior master, so he wanted to avenge her.

“…”

Zhang Yuan anxiously turned his eyes, originally coming to seek profit, but now finding himself in a difficult position—unexpected and regrettable.

Shui Miao stepped forward again, taking Zhang Yuan’s hand and placing it on his chest, softly saying, “Elder brother, if you don’t believe me, just rip out my heart directly. I stand right here; kill me, and I won’t dodge. Dying by your hands, I won’t resent you. But if there’s a next life, I hope we can truly be brothers!”

Shui Miao’s thinking was somewhat naive—he actually wanted to move Zhang Yuan with emotion.

Hearing these words, Baiyang immediately sneered.

Baiyang knew Zhang Yuan well. Though outwardly a righteous Taoist, Zhang Yuan was in his heart a complete petty man. Sentimental words like these were meaningless to him.

But the next moment, Zhang Yuan’s expression changed. He hurriedly turned and fled with his group of disciples.

“How could this happen?”

Baiyang was greatly surprised. With a thought, he quickly led a large group of ghost soldiers forward, coldly questioning Shui Miao, “What did you just do to Zhang Yuan?”

“You finally appeared?” Shui Miao smiled faintly to himself, appearing unfathomable, “Baiyang, as the City God, you conspired with evil ghosts and demons, calling Heishan Laomu, a demon, your senior master. You even wanted Zhang Yuan to kill me. I suppose you never dreamed that my elder brother Zhang Yuan is not a heartless person?”

In fact, just now, when Shui Miao took Zhang Yuan’s hand, he didn’t let Zhang Yuan kill him. Instead, he allowed Zhang Yuan to see the five stone tablets within his mind and mentally warned him that if he didn’t flee immediately, he would ask his master from outside the three realms to kill him. Therefore, Zhang Yuan was terrified and fled in panic.

“Cursed! That Zhang Yuan!”

Baiyang turned his head and ordered a ghost soldier, “Immediately take someone and kill Zhang Yuan and his group!”

“Eh, sir, are you sure you want them killed?” The ghost soldier was somewhat incredulous because Zhang Yuan had not violated any underworld laws. Baiyang’s actions were an abuse of power and unjust killing.

Hearing this, Shui Miao thought of the strategy of using another’s knife to kill and hastily pretended to be tense, shouting, “You dare! Do you still have any regard for the underworld’s laws?”

“Dare I? Do you think I, Baiyang, rose to power without guts?” Baiyang immediately took out a token from his body and handed it to the ghost soldier, “Go, carry out my orders. I will take full responsibility for any consequences.”

Baiyang had fallen for it, mainly because he didn’t believe a twenty-year-old could be so scheming.

With the City God’s token in hand, the ghost soldier had no choice but to lead a large group of ghost soldiers to act.

To further convince Baiyang, Shui Miao continued his act, pretending to be flustered and urgently saying, “Baiyang, I warn you not to act recklessly. If you dare to kill Zhang Yuan, I will never forgive you. I will kill all your men and personally kill you!”

Seeing Shui Miao’s panic, Baiyang instead calmly smiled, “Kid, finally feeling nervous, huh? Your weakness is that you’re too sentimental and too loyal to your friends. Today, I will avenge my senior master. I will slowly torture you to death. First, I will kill Zhang Yuan, then Jin Chanzi, and that fox demoness Qi Mei who has always been thinking of you.”

With a wave of his hand, Baiyang had two ghost soldiers release Jin Chanzi and Fox Demoness Qi Mei. They were bound tightly, forced to kneel on the ground with gags in their mouths and knives held to their necks.

“You’re so brave, aren’t you? Go ahead and kill these ghost soldiers, and then I can officially kill you. In the human world, this is called assaulting an officer—you should understand, right? Hahaha…” Baiyang laughed heartily, feeling especially delighted seeing Shui Miao’s anxious expression—more satisfying than killing Shui Miao directly.

Shui Miao had never expected Baiyang to threaten him using Jin Chanzi and Fox Demoness Qi Mei.

In desperation, Shui Miao could think of no way to save them. The ghost soldiers’ knives were already at their necks, and he couldn’t intervene.

“Despicable! Shameless!”

Suddenly, the black snake demon cursed Baiyang twice.

Baiyang glanced at the black snake demon but hadn’t yet spoken when the ghost soldier flashed in, “Sir, Zhang Yuan and his entire group have been eliminated!”

“Good, excellent! Haha!” Baiyang laughed and raised his eyebrows at Shui Miao, “Mr. Shui Miao, the game officially starts now. I’ll give you ten minutes—you can choose to kill the black snake demon behind you, or you can choose not to. Then, I will have my men kill either Fox Demoness Qi Mei or Jin Chanzi. But if you kill the black snake demon, I promise to release them. See how merciful I am! One life for two lives—you’ve made a profit!”

“Baiyang, don’t forget—you are the City God!” Shui Miao was furious but helpless.

Baiyang smirked indifferently, “Then, the countdown begins…”