Chapter 31

Not long after.

Chen Zhao had arrived beneath Yuhua Lou.

Unlike just now, all windows and doors inside the building were tightly shut, leaving only lanterns swaying in the Evil Qi.

And at the center of that pitch-black vortex.

Murong De's eyes were blood-red, with not a trace of white left, bearing the look of a cultivator who had lost control of his cultivation.

His body was covered in writhing fleshy masses, and a fleshy wing had sprouted beneath his ribs, just one step away from becoming a demonic beast.

And the purity of his Evil Technique far surpassed that of the three sisters!

Was this Fang Zijing's hidden move?

"Truly pitiful—he twisted his Evil Technique, the Evil Qi consumed his mind, leaving him this soulless husk."

Su Muxuan arrived right behind him, sneering.

Chen Zhao froze, then instantly understood the full chain of events.

"You already knew he was cultivating Evil Technique—you deliberately sent him here to force the Evil Cultivator to expose him?"

Su Muxuan showed a flicker of surprise, then chuckled.

"Don't smear false accusations on us—we're conducting a sting operation. But now that things have come to this, Brother, hold him off while I return to the sect for reinforcements."

He formed a hand seal and activated the Array Disk.

A withered yellow light barrier spread outward, trapping Chen Zhao and the other six, while he pulled out a Communication Talisman to alert Fang Zijing.

Unfortunately, trapped within the array, Chen Zhao couldn't hear what he said.

He had to deal with Murong De first.

Chen Zhao turned his head.

He saw Murong De standing motionless, head drooping, while Xin and Su launched attacks—but He Chengdao blocked them.

Chen Zhao grew inwardly anxious.

Today was his first time seeing an Evil Cultivator—he knew nothing about such cultivators.

No choice.

Chen Zhao curled his right finger and flicked it.

He tried firing a Qingxin Pill into Murong De's mouth.

At that moment.

Murong De's two fingers moved, crushing the Qingxin Pill between them.

He straightened up, now standing two zhang tall, and with a single step, became a phantom shadow.

Though his cultivation was only Qi Refining sixth layer, his power was no longer to be underestimated.

He Chengdao felt a violent gale strike his face—he instantly reacted, hurling a brilliant sword shadow behind him.

But Murong De casually punched, shattering the sword shadow.

In a single breath.

The fist's wind was already before He Chengdao's face.

He couldn't dodge in time—he was flung backward, spitting out a mouthful of old blood.

And on his body, several pitch-black vortices appeared out of nowhere.

Thick and foul-smelling—likely Evil Qi from the Evil Cultivator.

This substance required pills to dispel; if it accumulated too much, it could ruin cultivation or even cause loss of control.

And the earlier surge of overwhelming Evil Qi had already coated everyone's bodies with it.

Chen Zhao's gaze sharpened; he turned and shouted:

"Brother, don't you yet understand Fang Zijing's scheme?"

"He intends to use this man to kill all six of us, then clean up the mess himself and wash his hands clean!"

Upon hearing this, Su Muxuan sneered:

"What can I do? Dismiss the array and let him kill us all?"

With the array's protection,

he only needed to watch the trapped beasts fight, and flee if things turned bad.

He was one of Su Muqing's faction, a trusted insider—no matter how many were silenced, he'd never be among them.

He Chengdao suddenly realized, and together with Su and Liu, held off Murong De while Xin Tong set up an array.

Though the Spirit Qi inside was being consumed by the trapping array, her array expertise was high enough to weave another array within it.

A stack of Array Disks and Array Banners flew out; several fire dragons surged skyward, forcing Murong De into a series of retreats.

Even his eyes grew noticeably clearer!

Seeing this, Chen Zhao's expression grew even more grim.

Murong De was acting purely on instinct—he hadn't used any spells.

If he regained his sanity,

he would either kill them all or flee.

Either outcome was a death trap for Chen Zhao and the others.

As expected.

Murong De stiffly raised his hand, forming a hand seal.

A curved blade of blood-red light shot forth—the withered yellow trapping array trembled, making Su Muxuan's eyelid twitch.

His cultivation had temporarily dropped—he dared not face such a sharp edge.

He immediately formed a hand seal and fled far away.

And as soon as he left.

He took the Trapping Array Disk with him.

The Trapping Array vanished instantly.

Chen Zhao, seeing him far away, finally exhaled in relief.

If this brat hadn't left, this matter would've truly been troublesome.

He turned back toward Yuhua Lou and shouted loudly:

"Duan Bo, please lend your aid!"

Although Fang Zijing forbade bringing outsiders,

Duan Bo merely had a "particular" personal habit—he happened to be here tonight, and happened to intervene.

It certainly wasn't Chen Zhao who incited him.

But he knew.

Fang Zijing was by no means foolish; how could he not know Chen Zhao would call upon Duan Bo? This man must have had a backup plan, and had even sent two spies to watch.

Therefore, Su Muxuan, the direct heir, had to leave.

And He Chengdao's assistance was already treason.

Duan Bo forced him to swear a Heart Demon Oath before he acted.

In an instant.

Thunder and lightning stirred in the clouds; a lightning bolt, ten feet long, struck straight down, bearing the overwhelming pressure of Qi Refining Great Perfection, aimed directly at Murong De.

There was no escape.

Murong De summoned his blood-colored curved blade to block it, but even this mid-grade Dharma Treasure could only crack inch by inch under this heavenly power, turning to dust.

He himself fared even worse—skin untouched by the fire dragon now turned blackened, charred earth, radiating Evil Qi.

When the dust settled,

Several hazy figures arrived "just in time" from afar.

Seeing this, Duan Bo immediately turned and returned to Yuhua Lou.

The arrivals were none other than Fang Zijing.

"Muxuan, where is the Evil Cultivator?"

Su Muxuan stood beside him, bowing respectfully:

"Report, Senior Brother—he is right here..."

Before he could finish speaking,

He stared blankly at the spot where Murong De had been.

Only blackened ash remained.

Even the Storage Bag had been secretly taken by Chen Zhao, hidden beneath his Invisible Spirit Robe.

Yet Fang Zijing did not rage—he laughed instead, gently fanning himself with his Folding Fan:

"The Evil Cultivator may have escaped, but his accomplices won't get away."

This was his true killing move.

In battle against an Evil Cultivator, regardless of victory or defeat, one inevitably absorbs Evil Qi.

As long as Chen Zhao and the others might be Evil Cultivators, he could execute them on the spot under a fabricated charge.

This matter is too grave for Li Zhiwei to intervene afterward.

Moreover, Chen Zhao and his four companions were all tainted—no less than Evil Cultivators.

Several black-robed disciples frowned, clearly not fully convinced.

Chen Zhao and his group's spiritual energy was clean, unlike the foulness of Evil Cultivators.

But they all served under Elder Fang.

Compared to Chen Zhao's innocence, they cared more about their own futures.

The Elder's son has already been branded guilty; this place is below the mountain—what's hard about executing a few "accomplices"?

As the men moved to act,

Chen Zhao pulled his left hand from his sleeve.

A Communication Jade Slip glowed faintly.

The recipient was, of course, Elder Zhang.

Chen Zhao had known Fang Zijing would betray him, so during his struggle with Su Muxuan, he activated the Jade Slip to record evidence.

And since the Evil Cultivator affair was grave, if the Fang Clan interfered, Elder Zhang could use this as grounds to turn the tide.

With such an incentive, plus Elder Zhang's interest in Juxian Pavilion, he naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity.

Of course, if this plan failed, Chen Zhao had a backup.

And the events unfolded exactly as Chen Zhao had predicted.

Elder Zhang chuckled and said, "I'm on my way."

At the same time,

Thunder rumbled from the horizon, as if originating dozens of li away.

Yet only a dozen breaths later,

A short, stout figure landed before Chen Zhao, smiling warmly, holding a Recording Stone.

"Young Master Fang, you've been caught red-handed this time!"

He then turned back to Chen Zhao and gave a slight nod of approval.

Yet within his mind, he was silently pondering.

Li Zhiwei once said this person had only minor friction with Fang Zijing.

Now it seems this view may be slightly biased...

He had originally not wanted to interfere in this matter.

But Su Muxuan revealed far too much.

Assisting Evil Cultivators in escaping, planting Evil Cultivators within the team... if these could even be called human acts.

Yet in the Communication Talisman, he clearly revealed Fang Zijing's name.

Only when Fang Zijing himself arrives and confirms his involvement in this matter.

will Elder Zhang take formal action.