Chapter 225: Assigning Tasks

Bailian City, Baixiang Pavilion.

Li Muxian sat atop the roof and waited for a while, when another group appeared below.

He looked down through layers of night, seeing an old woman with snow-white hair rush straight to the body of Zheng Shangzong below.

Then she wept bitterly, screaming with raw anguish.

Though the old woman appeared elderly, her killing intent surged violently, making the man on the pavilion’s roof frown slightly.

This caused Li Muxian, who had planned to wait until her weeping ended before speaking, to finally interrupt:

“Who are you all from Bailian Peak? Why hasn’t the peak master come?”

At these words, the grieving Lady Zheng’s cries abruptly halted.

Instantly, everyone—including the two Elders of the Enforcement Hall—snapped their heads upward, staring at Li Muxian atop the pavilion.

“Who are you?”

One of the Enforcement Hall Elders stared at Li Muxian’s blurred silhouette in the darkness, his gaze wary as he demanded.

But the disheveled white-haired Lady Zheng locked eyes on Li Muxian, then unleashed a torrent of killing intent that swept toward him, shrieking:

“Did you kill Zijie?”

Facing their questions, Li Muxian raised an eyebrow and muttered to himself:

“What’s going on? Is the Bailian Peak master so heartless? Both his sons are dead, and he dares not come himself to seek revenge? Does he just send people to die one after another?”

Hearing his muttering, Lady Zheng flew into a rage, and the two Enforcement Hall Elders changed expression.

The instant the Bailian Peak group prepared to attack Li Muxian without another word—

Several among them, including Lady Zheng and the two Elders, had not even released their martial qi before their foreheads were simultaneously pierced through.

All of them collapsed dead into the ruined ditch below, life extinguished in an instant.

Only nine martial experts from Bailian Peak remained alive, but they stared in horror at the scene before them, watching Lady Zheng and the two Elders fall like dumplings into death.

They were now utterly terrified, faces ashen, frozen in place, having forgotten even to flee.

At that moment, nine talisman lights silently entered their bodies, and simultaneously, Li Muxian’s voice reached their ears:

“You all now carry a Life-Death Talisman only I can remove. Feel its effect for a moment, then do something for me.”

No sooner had he spoken than the nine men felt a pain like ten thousand ants gnawing at their flesh—worse than death—and screamed in unbearable agony, writhing in the ditch.

Soon after, the pain vanished entirely from all nine martial experts, and they gasped, trembling with relief.

“Now it’s time to do what I need.”

Li Muxian’s voice drifted down from the roof of Baixiang Pavilion into the ears of the nine martial experts.

All of them shuddered involuntarily; to them, his voice now sounded like a flesh-eating demon whispering in their ears.

Instantly, the entire group from Luoshen Peak knelt and begged for mercy, none willing to endure the torture of the Life-Death Talisman again.

Seeing this, Li Muxian nodded in satisfaction, then pointed downward and began issuing orders.

“You—return to Bailian Peak immediately and ask your peak master: both his sons and his wife have been killed by me. Does he truly have no desire to come seek revenge?”

“As for the rest of you, go to the other eight peaks of Luoshen Peak and say the Bailian Peak master is dead, Bailian Peak is finished. If you wish to avenge him, come to Baixiang Pavilion—I’ll be waiting.”

With that, Li Muxian waved his hand and added no more:

“That’s all. Go do it.”

Hearing this, the nine martial experts from Bailian Peak froze for a moment.

Clearly stunned by Li Muxian’s words—even the fear of the Life-Death Talisman momentarily forgotten.

To them, it was unthinkable that Li Muxian would dare taunt the Bailian Peak master like this, let alone intend to provoke all eight other peaks of Luoshen Peak at once.

Wasn’t his behavior tantamount to suicide?

But instantly, the memory of Lady Zheng and the two Elders’ deaths flashed in their minds, along with the agony of the Life-Death Talisman.

Without another word, the nine Bailian Peak martial experts knelt and answered in unison, then fled the ditch like demons were chasing them, mounting their horses and racing toward the Nine Peaks.

Li Muxian sat atop the roof, watching their retreating figures, and nodded in satisfaction.

…

On a small hill outside Bailian City, in the dark night, the robed old man and the girl in pink hid behind rocks, watching the road from Bailian City toward Bailian Peak.

Earlier, they had seen the courtesan of Baixiang Pavilion and the city lord’s elite warriors head toward Bailian Peak.

To avoid exposure, they had merely observed, taking no action.

Just moments ago, they had even witnessed Lady Zheng and the Enforcement Hall Elders arriving personally in Bailian City.

Thus, they had pressed themselves deeper into concealment, making not a sound, fearing detection.

“What has happened in Bailian City that even Lady Zheng and the Enforcement Hall Elders came rushing here at night?”

The robed old man frowned, his expression thoughtful; their arrival had clearly surprised him.

Beside him, the girl in pink rested her chin on her hand and said:

“The city lord and his heir are her own sons—her coming here is understandable, but arriving so late is unusual.”

She furrowed her delicate brows and added:

“Besides, I just noticed something odd about her—she came like a storm, brimming with killing intent, as if she wanted to murder someone.”

The robed old man nodded slightly and said:

“Now that I think of it, the sudden departures of the Baixiang Pavilion courtesan and the city lord’s elite warriors toward Bailian Peak also seem suspicious.”

The girl in pink turned and met the old man’s gaze; her clear eyes glimmered faintly in the dark as she asked:

“Grandpa, could this have something to do with that guy?”

The robed old man fell silent for a moment, then nodded:

“It’s not impossible—but we’re outside the city and don’t know what’s happened inside.”

(End of Chapter)