Free Web NovelChapter 173: Chapter 163: Three Moves
The night was dark and gloomy.
The City Lord’s Mansion was brightly lit with lanterns and decorations, drawing everyone’s attention.
Dozens of figures leaped out of Yidu City, avoiding the main roads and thoroughfares as they plunged into the distant mountain forests.
Bamboo Horse Technique!
Someone tossed out a handful of bamboo chopsticks, and with a surge of white smoke, powerful steeds appeared in their place.
"My lady!"
"Get on the horses, quickly!"
"No." Situ Kongli’s beautiful eyes glinted.
"You go on ahead to Tiannan City. Don’t worry about us."
"But..." The Personal Guard looked surprised, but then, as if understanding something, he nodded firmly.
"Be careful, my lady!"
"If we manage to survive this, we will surely return to your side the day you become a Great Mage."
"A Great Mage?" Situ Kongli glanced back at Yidu City, a complex look in her eyes.
’That’s far from enough...’
"Go, now!"
"Yes!" The guard shouted his affirmation, then let out a low cry and spurred his horse onward, galloping into the distance.
The remaining people continued forward. When they reached a fork in the mountain path, another group split off and left.
In the end,
Situ Kongli was left with only a sturdy servant woman and two children, a boy and a girl about five or six years old.
The children looked terrified, tucked under the servant woman’s arms as she ran against the wind. A Magic had been cast on them, preventing them from speaking.
WHOOSH...
A strong wind whipped across her face.
Situ Kongli stopped and called out to her surroundings.
"Brother Zhu?"
The leaves in the trees above rustled, and Zhu Ju’s figure floated lightly to the ground. His gaze paused on the small group.
"You only brought two children?"
He had expected that not many from the Situ Family would escape, but he hadn’t anticipated there would be so few.
From the looks of it,
these two children had probably been taken without their knowledge.
"It’s enough!" Situ Kongli lowered her eyes.
"In a few years, I’ll surely become a Great Mage, but the chances of becoming a True Man are slim. When the time comes, I will devote everything to raising them, allowing the Situ Family to spread its branches once more. In a hundred years at most..."
"...our descendants will definitely return to Yidu!"
Without a True Man, just being a Great Mage was far from enough to command the resources of an entire city.
That was why she had no intention of returning until she became a Great Mage.
"Where there’s a will, there’s a way." Zhu Ju nodded.
"One hour?"
"One hour!" Situ Kongli took a deep breath, her voice hurried.
"To avoid being detected by the people from Baiyun Temple, I didn’t touch anything in the Library Pavilion, the Treasure Chamber, or the Arsenal."
"Baiyun Temple has probably already discovered my escape, but they won’t make a scene so as not to alert Celestial Star City and Silk Ridge."
"The Situ Family now exists in name only. All those things are ownerless. Brother Zhu, you can take whatever you want."
"In any case..."
"I’m counting on you, Brother Zhu."
"Mm." Zhu Ju nodded and clasped his fists.
"Take care!"
"You too." A look of reluctance in her eyes, Situ Kongli gave Zhu Ju another deep glance, then bit her Silver Fang.
"We’ll meet again!"
"Let’s go!"
Calling to the servant woman, the four of them hurried toward an inconspicuous cave.
The cave was pitch-black, its destination unknown. Their figures vanished inside, and their auras disappeared with them.
Zhu Ju turned and looked toward Yidu City.
「Soon.」
A plume of black smoke rose from the city, bent in mid-air, and shot straight toward his location.
It came with ferocious momentum.
Its speed was even more astonishing.
The True Man from Baiyun Temple had been in Yidu City all along.
"SCREEE!"
The shriek shook the surrounding forest, and countless leaves fell with a RUSTLE as a terrifying aura descended from the sky.
"Zhu Ju?"
A sharp voice came from above.
"You intend to help the Situ Family?"
"I’ve been entrusted to guard this place for one hour." Zhu Ju looked up at the Daoist standing atop a large tree.
"Are you Temple Master Yunhe True Man of Baiyun Temple?"
"I am." Yunhe True Man was thin, with a gaunt face. His Daoist Robe fluttered in the wind, giving him an otherworldly air.
He tapped his foot and floated lightly to the ground, his expression uncertain.
"Fellow Daoist Zhu, must you block my path?"
"Where you can forgive, you should forgive." Zhu Ju sighed.
"The Situ Family has already given up Yidu City. Why must Yunhe True Man insist on exterminating them?"
"Indecisiveness breeds disaster." Yunhe True Man shook his head.
"Baiyun Temple must obtain Yidu City from Situ Kongli’s hands to silence the wagging tongues of the masses."
"Since she is unwilling..."
"Then do not blame this humble Daoist for being ruthless!"
"I see!" Zhu Ju understood.
"It seems there’s no room for negotiation. But one hour isn’t too long. Why don’t you wait a little while, True Man?"
"Why wait an hour?" Yunhe True Man narrowed his eyes and said, word by word:
"How about we settle this in three moves?"
’Three moves?’
Zhu Ju looked straight at him, his thoughts racing. Then he gave a carefree smile and extended a hand in invitation.
"Alright!"
"After you, Fellow Daoist!"
"Good!" Yunhe True Man’s eyes flew wide open. He spread his arms, and his body instantly transformed into an Immortal Crane.
An Immortal Crane with white feathers, a red crown, a long neck, and a long, straight beak, treading on auspicious clouds.
It was clearly an Immortal Crane, a symbol of good fortune, yet its aura was ferocious, brutal, and filled with madness.
The terrifying pressure made the living creatures for miles around tremble in fear.
"SCREEE!"
The Immortal Crane flapped its wings and shrieked. Its slender neck suddenly shot out, extending a hundred meters in an instant.
A hundred-meter-long neck was an eerie and terrifying sight.
The beak pecked violently.
The air warped and trembled under this peck, and a funnel-shaped Qi Force materialized out of thin air.
The scene was utterly horrifying.
"SWISH!"
A five-colored halo appeared around Zhu Ju.
The High Grade Spiritual Artifact—Five Elements Ring!
"CLANG..."
The beak collided with the five-colored halo, sending a visible shockwave rippling in all directions. Surrounding trees were uprooted, and hideous cracks appeared on the ground.
A Demon!
Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes, feeling the violent tremors of the Five Elements Ring. A grave expression appeared on his face.
This True Man was no man,
but a Demon!
A Demon comparable to a Late-Stage Innate expert.
The strength of this Yunhe True Man’s Physical Body was actually a notch above that of an Earth Evil True Body at the Great Success Realm.
"A Treasure Artifact True Man?"
"Take my second move!"
Yunhe True Man let out a piercing shriek. The feathers on his body suddenly exploded outward, transforming into hideous tentacles that shot forward.
The tentacles were slimy and cold, seemingly carrying the aura of the Nine Nether Abyss, pulling at one’s Divine Soul and dragging it down into endless darkness.
A Divine Soul Secret Technique!
"CRACK!"
With a crisp cracking sound, the Purifying Heart Bodhi suddenly shattered.
A Magical Artifact capable of resisting the Divine Soul attacks of a Great Mage was utterly fragile before a True Man.
Zhu Ju’s expression was grave.
"MA!"
"DONG..."
Celestial Dragon Eight Sounds!
The Soul-Shocking Bell trembled in his Sea of Consciousness, and his Divine Sense instantly cleared.
"It would be rude not to return the favor."
He took a deep breath and placed one hand on the hilt of his Cross and Vertical Saber.
"You can take a move from me, too!"
Ghost God Limit!
"CLANG!"
The saber hummed, and a sharp blade of light abruptly appeared, tearing through the sky full of tentacles as it slashed forward.
"CLANG..."
The Immortal Crane folded its wings, blocking the blade of light.
A tremendous force erupted, sending Yunhe True Man staggering back more than ten meters, his feet plowing two deep furrows in the ground.
Silence fell over the scene.
"Excellent!"
Yunhe True Man swayed, reverting to his Mortal form. His eyes flickered back and forth between those of a crane and a human.
His aura, too, was at times bizarre and at others calm.
"Impressive skills, Fellow Daoist!"
"Since that girl Situ Kongli has an expert protecting her, I’ll spare her this once, out of respect for you, Fellow Daoist."
"Farewell!"
Giving Zhu Ju one last deep look, Yunhe True Man shook his arms, and his body was engulfed in a Black Wind as he sped into the distance.
"A Demon True Man."
Watching him depart, Zhu Ju’s expression shifted.
’How strange indeed!’
From the looks of the exchange, Yunhe True Man clearly hadn’t used his full strength.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t, but that he didn’t dare.
When he transformed into a Demon, Yunhe True Man’s rationality was clearly weakening.
’If he maintains his Demon form for too long, he’ll probably lose himself completely and become a true Demon.’
After three moves,
he had left in a hurry.
’He must be looking for a place to suppress the strange transformation of his body.’
"No wonder!"
"No wonder most True Men rarely make a move, or even show their faces. It’s this dangerous."
Muttering to himself, Zhu Ju turned to look at Yidu City.
At this moment,
fires were already rising in the city, and chaos reigned.
*
*
*
"Kill!"
"Kill them!"
"..."
What should have been a festive wedding scene had long since descended into chaotic slaughter.
The people from Celestial Star City and Silk Ridge had come with the intention of causing trouble, and they were overjoyed to learn the bride had fled.
"Baiyun Temple is forcing the Situ Family’s hand to seize Yidu City! In killing you, we are carrying out justice on behalf of heaven!"
"Exactly!"
"Our Meng Family of Celestial Star City and the Situ Family of Yidu have been friends for a hundred years, close as brothers! How could we let you act so outrageously!"
"Kill!"
As the three forces clashed, it was inevitable that some with malicious intent would take the opportunity to wreak havoc, burning, killing, and looting.
The chaos began at the City Lord’s Mansion and quickly spread throughout the city.
"BANG!"
A wall was smashed open, and several figures holding sharp blades appeared before a group of panicked women.
"Beauties?"
"Haha..."
"Looks like we’re in for a treat today, brothers!"
"Are you crazy? Now’s not the time for women! Hurry up and find the valuables."
"Right, right!"
...
"Brothers!"
"The City Lord’s Mansion has fallen, and the General’s Mansion is empty! Whatever we can grab is ours! Why be polite?"
One after another, the street-front shops were ransacked.
The perpetrators were not only the usual street ruffians but also Mansion Soldiers and even some Evil Guards.
Looting, frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
was happening in every corner of Yidu City.
With the three major forces letting it happen, the entire Yidu City had descended into a chaotic mess.
...
「City Lord’s Mansion.」
The heart of the chaos.
Zhu Ju walked through the ruins with his hands behind his back, casually flicking his arm to bat away flying debris.
The Situ Family had been the masters of Yidu for over two hundred years, and their accumulated wealth could be measured in mountains of gold.
In any random room or building, one could find more wealth than an ordinary family could spend in a lifetime.
But for him...
The Library Pavilion!
It wasn’t that the Library Pavilion was the most important place, but that he had been there before and was more familiar with the layout.
Several bodies lay scattered on the ground, their valuables already looted.
"Aaargh!"
A scream came from up ahead.
"Haha..." one person laughed.
"Big brother, with these Visualization Images, we brothers will finally have a proper legacy."
"Indeed."
"Get out of the way!"
Just around the corner, a man in white robes walked toward them with his hands behind his back. The blood-crazed men instinctively swung their sabers at him.
"CLANG..."
It was like striking a hard stone; the blades shattered on impact.
Zhu Ju opened his mouth and gently exhaled.
"WHOOSH!"
Although the Great Success Earth Evil True Body was slightly weaker than a Demon True Man, it was still far beyond the realm of Mortals.
With a single breath, the shattered blade fragments swirled like grinding gears, engulfing the group of men before him.
"PFFT!"
"PFFT! PFFT!"
One by one, the bodies fell to the ground. Then, the storage items from their waists were pulled by an unseen force, floating toward Zhu Ju.
This scene was witnessed by the people behind, and their faces turned deathly pale.
’The Library Pavilion?’
Zhu Ju looked up at the building, which had already been engulfed in a sea of flames, and shook his head with some regret.
"What a pity!"
"Leave behind what you got from inside, and you can scram!"
"SWOOSH!"
One person’s figure flashed, pouncing to the side like a phantom while casting a spell to release a cloud of black smoke.
"It’s Yingliu’er."
Someone recognized the figure and said in a low voice:
"Although he’s a Mage, his Body Technique is so fast and his life-saving methods so numerous that even many Great Mages can’t compare."
"He got a lot of good stuff."
’Hmm?’
Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes, and a Spiritual Light shot from them.
Soul-Stabilizing and Soul-Slaying Divine Light!
"Aaaah!"
A blood-curdling scream came from within the black smoke, followed by two storage pouches slowly floating out.
"GULP..."
A gulping sound rippled through the crowd.
Zhu Ju waved his sleeve, summoning the Jile Spirit House. Streams of Papermen and Skin Puppets flew out from it, surrounding the entire area.
"Leave your things..."
"And then get lost!"
