Chapter 652: Calamity

If Yingzhou City at this moment were a man-eating hell, then the underground tunnels beneath Yingzhou City would simply be a human purgatory.

As the cave entrance was blown shut, the exit tunnels were completely blocked, and seeping oil began to ooze from the stone holes around the tunnels.

The young masters of the eight great clans, having never seen such a scene, were instantly terrified and fled backward, each holding a torch but unable to keep a grip, dropping them to the ground.

In an instant the whole tunnel was set ablaze, and they turned about, trying to flee back along the way they had come.

At this moment they cared for nothing; even being caught by Xiao Yin and flayed would be preferable to being burned alive here.

Behind them came the black-robed person, who never expected that suddenly wails would erupt from ahead, followed by fireballs rolling toward him.

"My lord! My lord! The exit ahead is blocked!"

"My lord, oil is everywhere around!"

"Hurry! Hurry and go!" the black-robed person hastily turned, leading the Duan family guards in retreat along the route they came.

Moreover, the oil seeping from both sides of the tunnel kept increasing; the stone-paved walkway beneath their feet, soaked in oil, became slippery, and from time to time someone would fall, clutching a broken leg and wailing.

People kept falling, and once down they could not get up.

The oil kept igniting, the fire spread, and everyone panicked, having no way to choose a path.

The more this happened, the slower their escape became; the air filled with the strong smell of smoke and fire, and the stench of scorched flesh.

A flicker of icy coldness crossed the black-robed person's eyes; running like this was useless, they could not outrun the rolling blaze behind them.

The black-robed person suddenly halted, gestured to the few close followers beside him, and snarled: "Kill them! Otherwise none of us will get away."

Those few were momentarily startled, then understood.

The urgent priority is that if we cannot block the fire, we will all be burned to death.

Now the straight tunnel has no door, no obstacle that could block the fire behind us.

The only solution is to rely on people.

Swaying firelight, chaotic hurried footsteps, explosive sounds, and more are the voices of angry curses and wails.

Those able to follow beside the black-robed person are formidable figures; their martial skill is naturally top-notch.

At this moment these vicious ruffians, weapons in hand, turned and actually killed their way back.

For a moment, those who had already fled in panic could not withstand such killing intent; they collapsed one after another, blood pouring out.

The number of those slaughtered kept growing, piled up in heaps; the frantic runners behind were blocked by the corpses ahead, and with the narrow passage, there was no way out.

Watching these living people being gradually burned to ash, even the black-robed person, whose heart was as hard as iron, staggered a few steps, stumbling and swaying.

He panicked, choosing no route, crawling and scrambling out of the human purgatory behind him.

When he crawled out of the mouth of the cave, his whole body was drained; he lay prone on the ground, gasping heavily.

Behind him only seven or eight people had followed him out, each utterly exhausted in body and mind, sprawled or kneeling on the cold ground.

Suddenly a footsteps approached slowly; the black-robed person, still shaken, slowly lifted his gaze to the man standing before him, looking down from above.

The man was tall and imposing, coldly looking down; a dark shadow fell before him, covering his body, yet he forced himself to sway.

Xiao Yin coldly regarded the person kneeling and prone before him, his eyes as if looking at the filthiest, most disgusting thing in the world, the corner of his mouth curling in mockery.

"When did the Empress Dowager become so fond of cross-dressing as a man?"

The black-robed person's body visibly stiffened somewhat.

Xiao Yin slowly stepped forward.

"Someone! Strip her skin for this Prince!"

The Azure Dragon Army beside Xiao Yin had long hated this person to the bone; hearing the Prince's order, they surged forward and seized the black-robed person kneeling on the ground.

"How dare you? Who dares? Release this humble one!"

Empress Dowager Ning'an, struggling, had her mask fall to the ground, revealing her gaunt, aged face.

Her black robe was also torn off, exposing her white‑streaked hair.

She was staggered and half‑dragged up by two Azure Dragon Army soldiers.

Even so, her struggling and cursing never ceased.

There was no trace of the dignity and composure of an empress dowager; she resembled a vulgar market woman.

Xiao Yin coldly watched the struggling Empress Dowager Ning'an, his face growing even darker.

Empress Dowager Ning'an suddenly burst into wild laughter, fixing Xiao Yin with a deadly stare; her eyes were poisoned, like the most vicious snake, flicking its tongue, ready to deal a fatal blow at any moment.

She laughed loudly: "Xiao Yin, where do you think you can get away with this? Gu Jiu Ling is dead!"

"Hahaha, Gu Jiu Ling died—I burned her to death myself with fire oil, in the very tunnel where she sought refuge."

"That fool, to help you take revenge, actually risked herself and ran onto my territory; how could I spare her?"

"Xiao Yin, Xiao Yin, nine years ago your brothers were all burned to death in Qi Sha Gu, and your mother consort…"

"Yes! Your mother consort, that vixen—I sent her a bowl of safflower tea, laced with something, making her suffer three days and three nights before she bore you, this bastard."

"She even clung to my hand, tears streaming, entrusting you to me—little did she know it was I who gave her the drug that robbed her of any chance."

"Even if the former emperor loved her, her lowly rank meant he dared not openly show his affection."

"Locking her away in the Imperial Harem, they thought that once the emperor had cleared the clans' influence, she could reign supreme there—pure fantasy."

"She is merely a common woman, a lowly singer who cannot grace the stage; what right does she have to enjoy wealth and honor, trampling on all of our heads?" Beautiful Book Net

"After she died, I still feared she would become a vengeful ghost, so I cut off her head, split her corpse, and buried it in five different places."

"She can no longer reincarnate; she has become an evil spirit in the depths of hell."

Xiao Yin's body trembled slightly, his fists clenched tight, longing to step forward and slash this old beast to death.

This woman is utterly vicious; she killed his mother consort, poisoned his body with gu, and used her as a tool for his usurpation.

Xiao Yin's face gradually paled; Empress Dowager Ning'an, watching his expression, laughed all the more maniacally.

"Nine years ago, in Qi Sha Gu, not killing you there is something I deeply regret."

"You should have been killed on the road to the capital; but watching you grow day by day into a complete waste has made me utterly delighted."

「Gu Jiu Ling that woman, actually bit by bit pulled you out of the mire, and now that woman also died because of you. 」

「Gu Qiu Lin was burned to death by this humble one, how effective is that? Are you happy or not? Hahaha……」

「What are you laughing at? Laugh again and your false teeth will fall out. After all, you're also a person, ah—how do old people, old folks, behave to become like this? Being disrespectful to the elderly is shameful, yet you consider it an honor, and you don't even bother to see what sort of thing you are. 」

Suddenly a woman walked slowly from not far behind Xiao Yan. After just bathing for the exam, a few strands of hair at her forehead carried a touch of poetic grace; she wore a light‑red robe and a fox‑fur‑less cloak draped over her, walking out so ordinarily day after day—who else could it be but Gu Jiu Ling?

But the Empress Dowager, upon seeing Gu Jiu Li at that moment, first asked a question, then immediately struggled and let out a scream.