Chapter 450: Cicada Cries and Blood Dew

After Zhu Cheng left, Duan Rong stayed holed up in the Separate Courtyard all day reading materials.

Ruyi had been guarding him from not far away, occasionally serving him fresh tea, but Duan Rong seemed to have entered a kind of "flow state," as if everything around him had ceased to exist except for the materials before his eyes.

Like this, he kept reading until late at night, when the slanted moon sank into the west.

Ruyi had accompanied him there all day and was now unable to help but start yawning.

Duan Rong finally raised his head and moved his stiff neck. He picked up the cup of clear tea nearby, took two sips to moisten his throat, and then glanced at Ruyi not far away; Ruyi had just finished yawning, and sleepy tears still brimmed in her eyes.

Duan Rong smiled and said, "What? Are you sleepy?"

Ruyi said, "No, my lord, this servant is not sleepy..."

Before Ruyi could finish speaking, her expression changed, and Duan Rong also knitted his brows, turning his head to look outside the room.

"Clang!"

"Clang! Clang!"

Outside the Separate Courtyard, in the quiet night, a series of sounds of metal clashing suddenly rang out; clearly, someone was fighting.

Duan Rong leaped up, suddenly rising to his feet, and by the time he landed, he was already standing at the doorway.

"Stay here, don't move!"

Duan Rong gave Ruyi an instruction and then rushed out of the room.

"My lord, be careful!" Ruyi said with a worried look, but Duan Rong was already no longer in the room.

At this moment, the sounds of fighting outside the Separate Courtyard gate had already ceased; when Duan Rong heard the fighting, he had already released his Divine Sense.

The intruder was wearing night-traveling clothes and had been wounded by Chou Luan within two moves.

By the time Duan Rong dashed out, that person had already retreated in defeat. Under the coverage of his Divine Sense, he only saw a black shadow clutching its shoulder and flashing over the wall.

Not bad Lightness Skill!

With his Divine Sense gathered, Duan Rong had already pierced through the black cloth covering the person's face.

"It's this person!"

As soon as Duan Rong saw the person's face clearly, he was greatly shocked. The person who had come to the Separate Courtyard to scout at night was actually that waiter from Taihe Tower.

"This Shenyun Prefecture really is full of hidden talents!"

Duan Rong walked to the outside of the Separate Courtyard gate.

On the open ground outside the gate, Chou Luan stood there holding a short blade; although he reeked of heavy alcohol, he stood very steadily, and his expression was full of murderous intent.

On the ground not far from Chou Luan, a blade had fallen, and there was clearly a pool of blood next to it.

Duan Rong looked at Chou Luan, and Chou Luan also looked at Duan Rong.

The two exchanged a glance but neither spoke. Duan Rong walked straight over, picked up the blade next to the bloodstain, and by the dim light of a lantern hanging on the gate of the Separate Courtyard, Duan Rong recognized the blade in his hand as a Standard Mo Dao.

The Standard Mo Dao was the official sidearm of the Dali Temple.

Duan Rong frowned, looking at the blade reflecting the dim light in his hand, and thought to himself, "Read Spirit Tool."

In the desolate night, a set of data floated before Duan Rong.

Artifact: Standard Mo Dao

Spirit Artifact Tier: Seventh Tier

Devour Requirement: Host Mental Power Level 7 (Met)

Devour Effect: Flying Cloud Blade Technique Fourth Layer

Duan Rong looked at the floating data panel before him and clicked his tongue slightly. "Indeed, it is the True Qi Realm Fourth Layer; I really underestimated you!"

Actually, just now, when he used his Divine Sense to scan the movement technique of the person leaving, Duan Rong had already vaguely guessed their realm, but at that time he had not used his Divine Sense to pierce through their dantian to investigate their actual realm.

A master of the True Qi Realm Fourth Layer was actually working as a waiter at Taihe Tower; he was really willing to stoop to such a position!

Thinking this, Duan Rong looked at Chou Luan not far to his side with a solemn expression. The intruder was also at the True Qi Realm Fourth Layer; although his technique leaned toward Lightness Skill, it was still a solid True Qi Realm Fourth Layer, yet such a master could not last two moves under Chou Luan before being wounded.

It could be seen that Chou Luan's cultivation was likely not far from the True Qi Realm Great Perfection Artistic Conception.

One must know that Ximen Kankan and Xiao Yu were not yet at the True Qi Realm Great Perfection and were still trapped within the Tower Forest.

The Entering Micro and Consummation realms after the Fourth Layer had nothing to do with the strength or weakness of the True Qi within the dantian, but were techniques for using True Qi, belonging to the level of Mental Power.

Therefore, although Duan Rong had checked Chou Luan's dantian when they first met, he only knew his internal cultivation level and was not clear about his progress in the Entering Micro or Consummation realms.

At this time, he saw Zhu Zhengfu and the steward Zhu Yu rushing over from the side of the bamboo forest near the Separate Courtyard. The lantern Zhu Yu held in his hand swayed in the night like chaotic sparks.

Duan Rong glanced at their figures over there, then lowered his head to look at the Mo Dao in his hand, focusing his gaze as he thought, "Devour!"

With his current cultivation, he naturally had no interest in True Qi Realm martial arts, but he was somewhat curious about that waiter from Taihe Tower; perhaps there would be some information in this Spirit Tool.

By the time the data panel before his eyes collapsed and vanished, Zhu Zhengfu had already reached the entrance of the Separate Courtyard, the dim light reflecting his gloomy expression.

Zhu Zhengfu had arranged defenses all around the Separate Courtyard, but he had given strict orders not to allow those Guards to approach the Separate Courtyard, so as not to expose Duan Rong's tracks.

It was only because those Guards heard the sounds of fighting that they reported to him, and he then rushed to the Separate Courtyard.

Zhu Zhengfu looked at Chou Luan and asked, "Who was it?"

Chou Luan remained silent and just shook his head.

Duan Rong handed the Mo Dao in his hand to Zhu Zhengfu.

Zhu Zhengfu took it, looked at it closely by the light, and said in surprise, "A Standard Mo Dao?! It's the Dali Temple!?"

Zhu Zhengfu held the Mo Dao up before his eyes and used his fingertips to rub the base of the blade for a while, where there were several very small numerical codes.

Zhu Zhengfu's eyes flickered; he put the blade away and said, "The blade is indeed from the Dali Temple, but this person, that may not be certain."

Duan Rong looked at Zhu Zhengfu; this man's brain was not muddled after all—if it really were the Dali Temple, why would they bring a Standard Mo Dao that would expose their identity to scout at night?

"I will hand this blade to Zhu Cheng overnight and have him investigate it; there should be results by tomorrow."

As Zhu Zhengfu said this, he cupped his hands to Duan Rong and said, "This subordinate failed to provide adequate protection and caused my lord to be alarmed!"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Official Zhu need not be nervous. Perhaps it was just a petty thief."

Duan Rong saying this was merely a remark to ease the atmosphere; how could an ordinary petty thief be holding a Standard Mo Dao of the Dali Temple?

As Duan Rong spoke, he cast an appreciative glance at Chou Luan and said, "The Guard that Lord Zhu has selected for me is quite excellent!"

Zhu Zhengfu then smiled and said, "Chou Luan's martial arts are indeed not bad; otherwise, I would not have dared to let him keep watch for you, my lord."

As Zhu Zhengfu spoke, he glared at Chou Luan and said coldly, "Chou Luan, the lord is praising you! Why are you still standing there like a stone?"

Upon hearing this, Chou Luan merely cupped his hands toward Duan Rong, yet remained silent.

Zhu Zhengfu had always known Chou Luan's temper and could do nothing about him; for him to offer a cupped-hand salute was already giving him face.

Duan Rong, however, praised him with a smile: "Truly a fine warrior!"

The more Chou Luan acted this way, the more he appreciated him in his heart. Sometimes, when using people, one must use not only their strengths but also their weaknesses. It was precisely because of this that Chou Luan would be loyal without second thoughts.

Zhu Zhengfu cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, my lord, this subordinate will have Zhu Peng bring another squad of soldiers from the Privy Council to strengthen the patrol and defense around the perimeter of the Separate Courtyard. Such a disturbance to you, my lord, will never happen again."

Duan Rong said, "There is no need to go to such great lengths. They have come once and already know that there is someone inside the Separate Courtyard. As for who exactly it is, how could they know just from a night-time probe? They should not come again."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhengfu's expression flickered between light and shadow, and he cupped his hands with a half-truthful, half-feigned manner: "You see things clearly, my lord."

Duan Rong could tell that Zhu Zhengfu did not truly agree with his view, so he smiled and said, "It is getting late, Lord Zhu should get some rest early."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he walked straight into the Separate Courtyard. Zhu Zhengfu watched Duan Rong's back, his eyes flickering.

As soon as Duan Rong entered the room, Ruyi hurried over with a flustered expression. "My lord, what happened?"

"Nothing, just a petty thief," Duan Rong said in a flat tone. "It is getting late, go to sleep."

Ruyi gave a soft acknowledgement, then closed the door and extinguished the lamp, entering the Inner Room together with Duan Rong.

Ruyi brought a basin of hot water to serve Duan Rong by loosening his clothes and removing his socks, then held Duan Rong's feet and placed them into the basin; while doing this, Ruyi wore only a bodice and underpants.

Duan Rong kept his eyes closed as much as possible, refusing to look at her, and simply let her soft, delicate hands rub his feet.

After Ruyi served Duan Rong and he lay down, she sighed softly with a noticeably dim look in her eyes as she carried the foot-washing water out to dump it.

Duan Rong lay on the bed in the pitch-black room; he could hear Ruyi's steady breathing, clearly indicating she had fallen asleep, but Duan Rong felt no sleepiness at this moment.

Before long, he heard faint rustling sounds coming from far away outside; he did not need to use his Divine Sense to know that Zhu Zhengfu had indeed added more soldiers around the Separate Courtyard.

This could not be blamed on Zhu Zhengfu; he was also afraid of botching the task.

In the pitch-black night, Duan Rong's eyes were deep and flickering...

The person who came to probe at night was actually a waiter from Taihe Tower; he had stayed at Taihe Tower for three days previously, so it was likely this person would have an impression of him.

However, his coming to probe at night was clearly unrelated to having seen him at Taihe Tower before.

It was likely that there were also spies within this residence of Zhu Zhengfu.

It was precisely his order not to let the patrolling Guards approach the Separate Courtyard that had aroused the suspicions of some people.

However, if he had let those Guards patrol around the Separate Courtyard, Duan Rong's tracks would likely have been exposed all the same.

That's not right!

Within this Shenyun Prefecture, major factions had operated for many years and naturally laid out many eyes and ears, all possessing a secret network of informants. As long as he had contact with Zhu Zhengfu and Zhu Cheng, he would certainly be exposed. Because, for figures like them, there were definitely people watching them within Shenyun Prefecture.

Then why did Zhu He specifically instruct him to contact Zhu Zhengfu and the others when coming to Shenyun Prefecture?

Moreover, thinking about it now, that instruction from Zhu He was given at the very end and seemed somewhat abrupt.

Could it be...

Duan Rong suddenly thought of one thing, which was that Zhu He's purpose was to make him get exposed.

Why?

Why would he want me to be exposed?

Duan Rong pondered repeatedly, truly unable to guess the crux of the matter.

He sighed helplessly; that old man Zhu He had a cultivation depth that was too profound. Often, a seemingly unintentional remark would hold great significance.

Moreover, his method of layout was extremely obscure; he simply could not understand the deep meaning until the moment it arrived.

Duan Rong touched the Yinlu Cicada hidden on his person, his gaze cold and sharp.

He suddenly slid off the bed, his bare feet touching the floor, and looked at Ruyi sleeping on the floor beside the pillar. Ruyi's breathing was steady and soft.

Duan Rong suddenly waved his hand in the night, and as his sleeve shook, a cloud of Medicine Powder was scattered onto Ruyi's face.

It was a type of coma-inducing Medicine Powder that could make Ruyi sleep for several hours.

After the Medicine Powder was scattered, Ruyi's breathing was clearly a bit weaker.

Ruyi's fair and tender figure flashed through Duan Rong's mind in the darkness, and a wave of heat rose in his lower abdomen again.

Duan Rong took a deep breath, circulated his Qi, and suppressed that heat, then he put on his clothes and actually darted out through the side window of the room.

The moment Duan Rong darted out of the window, his Divine Sense was suddenly released.

With his movement technique at the Origin Qi Realm Fourth Layer, combined with his Divine Sense probing, even with the heavy presence of soldiers around the Separate Courtyard, it was impossible for them to discover him.

Like a ghost, Duan Rong passed through behind a squad of patrolling soldiers without a sound and darted into the shadows of a Rockery.

Afterwards, Duan Rong's figure flickered repeatedly, and he had already vaulted out of Zhu Zhengfu's residence.

At this time, it was the dead of night, and the entire Shenyun Prefecture was silent, with only the faint, gurgling flow of the Dan River.

Duan Rong employed his movement technique, flickering like a ghost in the shadows of various buildings.

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick later, he had already left the Prefecture City of Shenyun Prefecture.

Duan Rong stood in the dead, dark wilderness, looked back at the towering, pitch-black city wall behind him, and continued to employ his movement technique, vaulting toward the deep, distant wilderness.

Half an hour later, Duan Rong suddenly stopped on a vast, open field.

At this time, the stars and moon hung low, and the wild landscape was vast beneath the low trees.

Duan Rong exhaled a breath of turbid air; having traveled at full speed for half an hour, he was now at least twenty-plus miles away from the city of Shenyun Prefecture.

Duan Rong stood there; the wilderness was silent and dead, and he could clearly hear his own breathing.

He flipped his hand, and in the night, he saw a cicada body glowing with a faint blood-colored light lying in his palm.

It was precisely the Yinlu Cicada he had refined with his Essence Blood according to Zhu He's instructions earlier.

Duan Rong looked at the cicada body glowing with blood-colored light in the night, its light and shadow flickering, nimble as if it were a living creature.

A look of heartache flashed through Duan Rong's eyes, but he steeled his heart and instantly urged his thoughts.

Having been refined by his Essence Blood, the Yinlu Cicada was already in perfect communion with his mind; the moment he urged his thoughts, the Yinlu Cicada resting on his palm suddenly let out a low, deep cicada cry.

The cry was not harsh at all, sounding like a soft murmur, almost too low to be heard, yet it filled the entire wilderness.

The instant that cicada cry rang out, a drop of blood dew was spat from the mouth of the Yinlu Cicada...

The moment that drop of blood dew appeared, it vanished in a flash of blood-red shadow, as if it were not a thing of this realm; once it appeared, it was erased by the Heavenly Dao.

But the instant that blood dew vanished, a terrifyingly extreme power suddenly enveloped Duan Rong and, with him as the center, rippled out toward the surrounding wilderness...

The terrifying aura of that formless power made Duan Rong tremble uncontrollably, and his mind instantly collapsed...

Within a radius of ten zhang, with Duan Rong as the center, the wilderness was reduced to powder in an instant.

Soil, trees, rocks, and turf were all gone.

It was as if a desert with a radius of ten zhang had suddenly appeared in the oasis.

No, it was not a desert; it was far more pulverized than sand, even finer than flour.

And it was all matter, without distinction, all reduced to powder.

Those large swathes of fine powder lay quietly around Duan Rong, while the spot where his feet stood was a nearly perfect circle, the green grass upon it looking eerily green under the dim light of the stars and moon.

Duan Rong swallowed a mouthful of saliva, a trace of lingering fear flashing in his eyes!

Fortunately, that power was not meant to destroy him, but to protect him. If not for that, he could be certain that he would not have been able to offer even a moment of resistance; he would have been instantly erased, just like the powder covering the ground.

Because that was a power from an entirely different dimension.

"This is Law Power!"

At this moment, Duan Rong felt no excitement at having manipulated Law Power; instead, he felt a deep sense of dread.

The appearance of that power had no process and no sound; after that one low cicada cry, everything had quietly come to pass.

It was too fast, too bizarre, just like a dream; Duan Rong stood on a circular patch of grass, appearing in the middle of a desert...

(End of chapter)