Chapter 183: Murderous Intent

Lady Murong Xiaoya's eyes once again ignited with molten-gold vortices, and in the next instant, she struck upward with one palm toward the cave's ceiling.

Her torrential martial qi and the flames swirling around her coalesced into a colossal golden-flame palm that shot skyward, instantly blasting clean through the entire cave from underground to the surface.

The terrifying heatwave lifted a stretch of ruined houses aboveground, hurling them into the air.

The winged shadow retracted and dissolved; Lady Murong Xiaoya, trailed by countless crimson-gold fire threads, pierced through the darkness and rose fully from the cave's depths, arriving in an instant above the ruins of the Lady Murong Fu.

At this moment, her slender figure stood suspended in midair, her eyes blazing golden, like a radiant sun against the black night sky.

Then, she casually reached down into the ruined house and seized something—an invisible qi shadow gripped a black robe and lifted it upward.

Simultaneously, the crimson-gold flames swirling around her vanished, wrapping themselves around her bare body.

Having completed this, Lady Murong Xiaoya looked down at the entire ruins of the Lady Murong Fu, her face expressionless, her entire being brimming with murderous intent.

In the next instant, she moved—and vanished from midair.

……

Meanwhile, after failing to find Lady Murong Xiaoya, Hu Rui'an and the others, who had already left the Lady Murong Fu, suddenly spun back to stare at the ruins behind them.

In an instant, every face among them twisted into profound shock.

"Why is there such terrifying aura and murderous intent? Who is this person?"

Hu Rui'an frowned tightly; the horrifying aura that had just flashed from the Lady Murong Fu direction had made even him tremble inwardly, a prickling dread crawling up his spine.

Those around him—including Cao Gaoshan and Shen Anran—felt the same.

But their martial cultivation was inferior to Hu Rui'an's; even at this distance, they were faintly shaken by that aura and murderous intent, their hearts trembling with uncontainable fear and unease.

The stunned group exchanged glances, and finally, including Hu Rui'an, all eyes turned toward the carriage where Li Musheng sat.

At that moment, Li Musheng lifted the carriage curtain, gazed toward the Lady Murong Fu, and said thoughtfully:

"That is Miss Lady Murong's aura—but now, she is no longer the Miss Lady Murong she was before."

Hearing this, Hu Rui'an and the others froze, then wore expressions of bewildered confusion.

"Your Highness, Miss Lady Murong was merely a Master-level martial cultivator, yet just now that aura was incomparably stronger than Lady Murong Hong's."

Hu Rui'an found it hard to believe—how much time had passed?

Even if she had swallowed a martial divine pill or received transmission from a top-tier martial expert, such a drastic transformation could not occur so swiftly.

Li Musheng glanced at Hu Rui'an, then raised an eyebrow and said:

"You ask me? I don't know either—but Miss Lady Murong is truly no longer the same."

As he spoke, Li Musheng's gaze swept over the ruins of the Lady Murong Fu, and he let out a quiet sigh.

The brutality of rival sect conflicts rivals that of war.

To be honest, this was his first time witnessing such a cruel scene—he felt this world was still too chaotic, human lives as worthless as grass.

Upon hearing Li Musheng's words, the others all wore strange expressions, their shock even greater than before.

After all, everyone knew Li Musheng would not lie—but to accept that Lady Murong Xiaoya had gained such power in such a short time…

It was simply too implausible, far beyond normal comprehension; none could quite accept it yet.

At that moment, Li Musheng rubbed his chin, gazing at the Lady Murong Fu, and mused aloud:

"Normal methods couldn't have boosted her power this fast—Miss Lady Murong must be hiding a great secret. Also, her current aura… it feels faintly familiar to me…"

Hearing this, Hu Rui'an's expression shifted; after a moment's thought, he asked:

"Your Highness, should I still follow Miss Lady Murong?"

Li Musheng looked at him, raised an eyebrow, and said:

"My lord, her power now dwarfs yours beyond measure—do you still think following her is necessary? Of course, if you wish to follow, I won't stop you."

Hu Rui'an realized it was true; he glanced back at the Lady Murong Fu and said nothing more.

At that moment, Li Musheng sighed and turned to Hu Rui'an:

"The Lady Murong Fu is clearly no longer habitable. So tonight, I'll accompany you to the Shengzhou Tianjinwei branch office—spend the night there, and also see what this ghostly presence is truly about."

Plans change faster than they're made; originally, Li Musheng had no intention of meddling with the ghost, but now that he had nowhere else to go, he might as well visit the Shengzhou Tianjinwei branch office.

After all, though Li Musheng wasn't afraid of ghosts, being haunted by such a mysterious thing was still irritating.

Upon hearing this, Hu Rui'an and Wu Shang both brightened instantly.

Though the ghost at the Shengzhou Tianjinwei branch office had not acted today, and with Li Musheng present they had no fear of it…

Still, Li Musheng willingly taking the initiative to eliminate the ghost, removing this lingering threat, filled them with deep gratitude.

They immediately agreed and urged the carriage toward the location of the Shengzhou Tianjinwei branch office.

……

Meanwhile, above the ruins of the Lady Murong Fu.

The brocade-robed elder, accompanied by select youths from the four great families, scoured the area, determined to leave no survivor—ensuring every last person of the Lady Murong Fu was slaughtered, leaving no lingering threat.

"Senior, we've searched nearly the entire Lady Murong Fu. We can confirm no living souls remain—we've finished off every last one, except…"

A young man from the Zhu family reported, then paused, lifting his gaze to the brocade-robed elder.

The elder waved his hand dismissively:

"I know full well Lady Murong Hong's daughter hasn't been dealt with yet—I'll report this to the clan lord. You needn't worry—"

But before he finished speaking, his eyes narrowed sharply as he suddenly spotted a figure leaping from the ruins ahead.

Now clad in a black robe, Lady Murong Xiaoya stepped atop shattered charred beams; her hem swept over smoldering embers, reigniting sparks as grayish smoke surged upward from the ruins.

The brocade-robed elder, upon seeing her, instantly scanned the surroundings—finding no Hu Rui'an or others nearby.

His aged face twisted with murderous intent as he spoke:

"Miss Lady Murong, why leave your hiding place? Aren't you seeking death?"

As he spoke, the elder struck with lightning speed, summoning a qi palm imprint through the air and slamming it down toward Lady Murong Xiaoya.

(End of Chapter)