Hehe, the two people who were secretly in love with each other finally got some rare alone time, only to have it abruptly cut short. Can’t they even be allowed to vent their anger and frustration?
Huangfu Yichen, who had just been humiliated, naturally didn’t need to be mentioned. Ying Qiyun and Yin Jiu also left in a hurry with dark expressions. The actions of the Outer Realm Demons were practically a blatant mockery of their intelligence-gathering efforts—how could their faces not be grim?
Not only that, but Gu Yu also quietly slipped away, not wanting to draw any attention to himself in front of his scowling senior brother.
Gu Wei’s mood and expression weren’t great either. Originally, he had planned to spend the next couple of days preparing to visit his beloved’s family at Cloud Sky Fortress, where they might even discuss marriage and officially become a family. But now?
Gu Wei: *…Trash demons, trash Rong Nianxin!*
Fortunately, Gu Wei still had a sense of priorities, and Tang Qi had comforted him gently and sincerely before they parted. Otherwise, he might have thrown a fit.
A few days later, the Xuantian Continent remained eerily calm. Even the Outer Realm Demons lurking near the spatial rifts seemed to have quieted down. The peaceful atmosphere spread across the continent, but Huangfu Yichen and the others knew better—this tranquility was just a temporary illusion. Once the demons began their rampage, who knew how much chaos they would unleash?
As enemies for over a thousand years, they didn’t believe the demons had come to the Xuantian Continent just to travel incognito, kill someone they disliked, and then commit suicide without leaving a trace. Though the continent appeared peaceful now, the truth was that vigilance was high beneath the surface.
Amid this strange atmosphere, the grand ceremony in the imperial capital was about to begin.
Before that, however, a minor incident occurred. If not for certain individuals keeping a close watch, it might have gone unnoticed, like a drop of water vanishing into the sea.
The Xuantian Continent possessed a unique energy called Xuan Power. Those who cultivated it were known as Xuan Practitioners, whose strength and talent were divided into different ranks. The continent was vast, and while Xuan Practitioners and ordinary people occasionally interacted, they generally lived separate lives. For example, Cloud Sky City was a settlement for ordinary people, while Cloud Sky Fortress belonged to the Xuan Practitioners.
There was a mid-sized ordinary city, smaller than Cloud Sky City under the protection of Cloud Sky Fortress but not insignificant. The most prominent family there was the Rong family.
The Rong family’s wealth couldn’t compare to the Liuyun Merchant Guild, whose influence was so vast that even Xuan Practitioners treated them with respect and caution. However, among ordinary people, the Rongs were quite powerful—effectively the local overlords in their city, which was quite a distance from the imperial capital.
But not long ago, the Rong family suddenly fell victim to a strange illness. The incubation period showed no symptoms, but once it erupted, the disease progressed rapidly and violently, causing extreme suffering. Victims didn’t last long before dying in agony.
Panic quickly spread through the Rong family and the entire city, nearly sparking chaos. Fortunately, the Liuyun Merchant Guild happened to be passing through on their way to a collaboration with the Divine Doctor Valley. The Divine Doctors swiftly stabilized the situation, and the Merchant Guild promptly contacted the imperial court. Thus, the crisis was contained, and subsequent arrangements were handled smoothly.
Unfortunately, the Rong family, as the source of the outbreak, had no survivors due to the disease’s rapid progression. As for how the illness originated or spread, no one had any clues.
The mastermind behind it all gnashed her teeth at the harmonious resolution: *”The Liuyun Merchant Guild and the Divine Doctor Valley—such meddlers!”* If not for their interference, the lives of this city—and potentially many more—would have been stepping stones on her path to power. Now, she had to start planning all over again.
*”Heh, meddling, is it? Fine, I’ll remember you!”* Since the first plan had failed, it was time to activate the second. No matter what, no one would stand in her way of obtaining ultimate power!
This person—Rong Nianxin—lowered her head with a sinister sneer. On her exposed neck, faint but ominous black-red patterns began to surface.
What she didn’t know was that her every move was already being monitored by certain individuals.
Huangfu Yichen slammed the table in fury. *”That venomous woman has gone too far!”* The city where the Rong family resided was under imperial jurisdiction—ordinary territory governed by the royal court. Attempting to wipe out an entire city, even targeting neighboring settlements and travelers, was nothing short of a direct challenge to the imperial family’s authority!
Whether it was her cold-blooded scheme against ordinary people or her blatant disregard for the royal family, Rong Nianxin had struck a nerve with Huangfu Yichen. His already rock-bottom opinion of her—due to her past betrayal of a loyal subordinate—plummeted even further.
Gu Yu, too, felt nothing but disgust for Rong Nianxin. Though he had no ambition for the position of Valley Master, he had always aspired to be an outstanding physician who saved lives. Rong Nianxin’s selfish collaboration with the demons, sacrificing an entire city, filled him with revulsion.
Fu Yuming, sent as a representative for the collaboration, smirked coldly before turning to Ying Qiyun and Yin Jiu. *”Brother Ying, Brother Yin, any findings from your investigation?”*
Yin Jiu sipped tea to suppress his anger, leaving Ying Qiyun to answer. *”Initial analysis suggests the demons’ cooperation with Rong Nianxin traces back to her father—or rather, her grandmother, Chuntao.”*
Despite the unassuming name, Chuntao had once been a notorious villainess. After failing to seduce Tang Qi’s grandfather and having her identity exposed, she abandoned all pretense. To enhance her power and manipulate others, she slaughtered countless ordinary people and Xuan Practitioners, her hands drenched in blood.
At the mention of *”Chuntao,”* Tang Qi looked up sharply.
Of everyone present, Tang Qi harbored the deepest hatred for Chuntao. If not for her schemes against his grandfather—leaving him with hidden injuries that led to an early death—his grandmother wouldn’t have succumbed to grief and passed away soon after. And if not for Chuntao’s *”education”* of her selfish, cruel son—Rong Nianxin’s father—Tang Qi’s parents wouldn’t have died due to his jealousy and resentment.
Had Chuntao still been alive, Tang Qi’s first act after stabilizing Cloud Sky Fortress would have been to settle the score with her. Now, hearing her name again stirred old wounds.
Gu Wei, aware of his beloved’s grievances, squeezed Tang Qi’s hand reassuringly before stroking his chin thoughtfully. *”If Chuntao had ties to the demons… do you think her cult back then was connected to them?”*
At this question, everyone’s eyes turned to Jin Yu, the leader of the unorthodox sects.
Jin Yu rolled his eyes. *”Why look at me? How should I know? Our unorthodox sects and those deranged cultists are nothing alike.”*
At the very least, while their methods might be unconventional, they would never slaughter ordinary people like that cult. They still had their dignity and pride as Xuan Practitioners.
Yan Ruizhe tapped the table with a finger. *”That said, there are some similarities between that cult and the Outer Realm Demons in their methods.”*
Yan Ruizhe’s grandfather had participated in the operation to suppress Chuntao’s cult and left detailed records of the battles for future generations. As the most talented descendant of the Yan family, Yan Ruizhe had studied those records. As the leader of the orthodox sects, he had also frequently battled the Outer Realm Demons at the rifts and was familiar with their tactics.
Previously unnoticed, the parallels now seemed striking.
Yin Jiu stretched. *”That’s an important point, but we shouldn’t fixate on it. Maybe the cult and the demons share similarities simply because they’re both ruthless criminals? Perhaps the cult leader admired the demons and imitated them?”*
*”In any case, until we have definitive proof, we shouldn’t dismiss other possibilities.”*
The others nodded in agreement.
The Outer Realm Demons were undeniably the Xuantian Continent’s mortal enemies. The war a millennium ago had proven they viewed the continent’s inhabitants as nothing more than slaves or livestock—a mindset they showed no signs of changing. Reconciliation was impossible.
Happy Women’s Day to all the ladies out there! o(≧v≦)o
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