Chapter 49: Liuyumo Sect

Seeing this, the Grand Eunuch Sun Changyu merely waved his hand and said:

"Young Master Li need not worry. Your current situation is somewhat special; this is merely a trick of deception I employed to avoid accidents, a routine operation even within the Tianjin Guard."

Hearing this, Li Musheng said nothing, but raised his head and glanced at the sky through the window.

The blue sky, originally clear and cloudless, had somehow turned gloomy.

The air was heavy, and the horizon dark.

Distant clouds rolled in, pressing lower and lower, as if about to crush the entire imperial capital.

Li Musheng stroked his chin and said in a low voice:

"Judging by the weather, it seems rain is coming."

As if to verify his words, a muffled thunderclap roared from the thick clouds, echoing endlessly with a boom.

Aurora Pavilion.

Outside a hall serving as a temporary base for the Tianjin Guard, several armored soldiers wielding blades hurriedly escorted a young nobleman in a purple robe.

"How dare you! My eldest uncle is the Vice Minister of Revenue, yet you dare arrest me?"

Zhang He struggled desperately, trying to break free from the soldiers' grip, but all he received was a heavy strike from the flat of a blade.

"Sss!"

The searing pain from the powerful blow to his back made Zhang He grimace in agony, gasping sharply for air.

He glared fiercely, eyes wide, at the soldier who had struck him, opening his mouth to curse.

But at that moment, the soldiers had already dragged him into the hall, where one man reported in a deep voice:

"My lord, as instructed by Eunuch Sun, we searched the vicinity of Aurora Pavilion and found this person acting furtively with suspicious movements; he may well be one of those from the Demonic Path."

Hearing this, Zhang He immediately shouted:

"You had better speak clearly! Who is this 'one of the Demonic Path'? My eldest uncle is the Vice Minister of Revenue, a high official of the court, and you, a mere pawn, are not even fit to hold my shoes!"

Seeing this, Song Shanyue, the Director Assistant seated behind the desk, glanced at Zhang He, then waved his hand and said:

"Just a spoiled brat. Take him away for interrogation first."

Hearing this, the soldier was not surprised, immediately agreed, and prepared to escort Zhang He away.

However, just then, Song Shanyue abruptly spoke again:

"Wait. This matter concerns the Demonic Path and cannot be taken lightly. Leave him here; I will interrogate him personally."

The soldiers paused slightly but said nothing. After pinning Zhang He to the ground, they bowed together and departed.

With a creak, the great hall doors were slowly closed.

Silence fell over the hall for a moment before Song Shanyue's voice finally rang out:

"Who are you from the Liuyumo Sect?"

Hearing this, Zhang He, who had been lying on the ground, concealed the blood-red light he had deliberately shown in his eyes, twisted his body to sit up, and indicated:

"Please, My Lord Song, untie the ropes binding me; only then will I be able to speak with you properly."

Song Shanyue snorted coldly. His martial true qi spread with his sound technique, and in an instant, the ropes binding Zhang He were shattered into fragments.

Zhang He rubbed his wrists and rose from the ground. The arrogance and anger on his face were gone, replaced by a faint, sinister smile:

"The Holy Maiden sends her greetings to the Director Assistant, My Lord. You are indeed as healthy as ever."

Hearing this, Song Shanyue's hair, already half-white, stirred without wind. Veins on his neck bulged, and killing intent surged in his eyes, as if an anger he could hardly contain boiled within him.

Nevertheless, he forced himself to suppress his emotions, and the words seemed to be spat out between his teeth:

"What does she want you to do with me?"

Zhang He seemed not to notice Song Shanyue's face, which was nearly murderous, and merely scratched his head, smiling:

"The Holy Maiden has no orders for you at the moment. Actually, I am the one seeking you, to ask you to kill someone for me."

Hearing this, Song Shanyue did not get angry but laughed instead, saying:

"How dare you, a mere wretch, order this official!"

The moment his words ended, a terrifying invisible sound wave surged outward, blasting Zhang He away. He crashed heavily against a hall pillar, rolled across the floor, and only stopped after tumbling several times.

Immediately after, a bout of violent coughing echoed through the silent hall. Zhang He clutched his chest, coughing up blood continuously.

"My Lord Song truly has a violent temper. If you strike again, I will trigger the Demon Heart seed within your body..."

While speaking hurriedly, he struggled to rise from the ground.

Then, he wiped the dark blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at the bewildered and suspicious Song Shanyue, and a mocking expression appeared on his lips:

"My Lord Song, do not doubt my words. Before you kill me, I am fully capable of triggering the Demon Heart, turning you into a great demon that everyone must seek to destroy."

As he spoke, Zhang He twitched his nose, muttering something rapidly in his mouth.

In the next instant, he suddenly took a deep, forceful breath.

In a flash, the scattered drops of blood and fragments of organs on the ground instantly vaporized, turning into wisps of crimson mist that were sucked into his body in an instant.

At the same time, Zhang He said cheerfully:

"Besides, whether My Lord Song can kill me or not remains to be seen."

Song Shanyue's eyes narrowed sharply. At this moment, he could clearly see that Zhang He's injuries had already healed completely in the blink of an eye, as if his sound technique had never harmed him at all.

For a moment, Song Shanyue's expression shifted unpredictably. He stared fixedly at Zhang He for a long while before finally closing his eyes slowly and saying:

"That wench said that if I do three things for the Liuyumo Sect, she will remove the Demon Heart seed from my body and allow Yun'er to return."

"Now only two tasks remain. Does the thing you speak of count among them?"

Hearing this, Zhang He nodded and smiled meaningfully:

"Rest assured, My Lord Song. Every task you perform for the Holy Sect counts, and moreover, my relationship with the Holy Maiden is unbreakable; my words are entirely worthy of your trust."

Song Shanyue looked at him, remained silent for a long while, and then spoke with a voice as cold as ice:

"Speak. Who do you want me to help you kill?"

Zhang He cupped his hands in a salute and said in a sinister tone:

"Naturally, I am asking Lord Song to step in and kill that true seventh Imperial Prince."

"The Great Li court has slaughtered no fewer than a thousand of my Holy Sect's sons, forcing countless sect elders to bury their own children. I want to let that Emperor Yuanwu taste for himself what it feels like to lose a son."

Song Shanyue narrowed his eyes and said with a cold laugh:

"You're overthinking it. The imperial house is heartless. The idea that Your Majesty would grieve over losing one son is almost impossible."

Zhang He thought it over, gave a light chuckle, and said:

"Fine. Whether that dog Emperor suffers or not doesn't really matter. Killing his son and watching him rage helplessly will do just as well."

"Besides, this is a rare chance. The other Imperial Princes and Princesses all have experts guarding them, openly or in secret. This one hasn't even had his identity confirmed yet, so he's an exception — killing him will be far easier than the others."

However, Song Shanyue slowly shook his head and said:

"The one you want to kill is very likely not as simple as he seems."

(End of this chapter)