Chapter 262: The Grand Eunuch Arrives: The Shock of the White-Robed Lin Jin (6k+)

After Zhou Qing stepped out of the mountain gate, he saw a white-robed man standing far off, with the word 【Weird】 floating above his head.

Zhou Qing glanced at Elder Wu Zhu, gave a slight nod, then walked forward.

In fact, since their parting at Qingyu Immortal Sect, the two had never met again.

“Did you make that 【Curse Scroll】? Hand it over,” the white-robed man asked bluntly, still facing away from Zhou Qing.

At these words, a flash of light appeared in Zhou Qing’s palm, and an ancient, yellowed scroll materialized instantly.

With a flick of his arm, the scroll shot straight toward the white-robed man.

The white-robed Lin Jin did not move, merely extending his right hand and catching the scroll with casual ease.

Then, without hesitation, he turned to leave.

Seeing this, Zhou Qing felt a flicker of surprise—he hadn’t expected the man to act so abruptly.

He couldn’t help asking, “Aren’t you going to ask how to use it?”

Lin Jin paused, turned slightly, walked back, and said calmly, “Forgot.”

Zhou Qing: “...”

In truth, the two bore no grudge; in fact, back in the academy, he had once saved Senior Brother Li Daoxuan.

That was precisely why Zhou Qing had pretended to give him a so-called “antidote” to the 【Curse Scroll】.

In reality, it was just a crude trick.

Zhou Qing steadied himself and explained in detail: “You only need to fix your eyes on your target, lock onto them, then channel spiritual power into the scroll and hurl it at them.”

“No matter how high their cultivation or what defense they employ, they cannot resist this scroll.”

He paused briefly, then continued, “Once struck, the target will suffer misfortune for three consecutive days. Remember—the effect lasts only three days. After that, the scroll loses its power automatically.”

“Of course, as the caster, you will receive constant updates whenever the target suffers major misfortune. Don’t be alarmed or worried.”

Hearing this, the white-robed man trembled, his face filled with disbelief. He blinked and said, “Updates?”

Zhou Qing nodded seriously: “Yes. Like when I heard you wandered into the Demon King’s territory and were hunted down, then returned to your secret base only to find it breached, suffered qi deviation while healing, and then unlucky enough to stumble upon the Five Ghost Sect and Ten Thousand Flowers Valley’s secret meeting—they tried to silence you, and so on.”

As Lin Jin listened, his body involuntarily shuddered.

【Heart Mirror Point +11】

Instantly, the 【Weird】 tag above his head changed to 【Terrifyingly Weird】.

“How much for one of these? I want to order a batch!” Lin Jin’s voice trembled with awe.

Zhou Qing chuckled.

“No matter how high the price, I won’t sell it. I won’t even craft more. This scroll harms the Dao—craft too many, and misfortune will cling to you,” Zhou Qing said seriously.

A batch?

I don’t even know when the next one will spawn.

After all, this thing is entirely random.

Hearing Zhou Qing’s words, Lin Jin looked disappointed.

But he quickly recovered and asked, “If its effect lasts only three days, why did you give me the antidote back then?”

Zhou Qing replied solemnly: “You came to me demanding the antidote. To stop you from harassing my Third Senior Brother, I had no choice but to resort to this.”

After hearing this, Lin Jin walked off in silence.

Watching his back, Zhou Qing could no longer hold back his loud laughter.

Now, who would he use the scroll on?

For some reason, he was oddly curious.

A month later, five blood-prohibited soldiers, their expressions cold and their aura heavy with slaughter, suddenly appeared in the mountain range where the Fifth Imperial Prince Yuan Fengtai had perished.

The leader held a jade slip, his gaze sharp as he meticulously compared the surroundings, leaving no detail unexamined.

Then they scattered, carefully inspecting the lingering traces of battle.

After checking, they exchanged information; one pulled a red token from his storage pouch and immediately sent the message.

Less than an hour later, streaks of light appeared on the horizon—more and more blood-prohibited soldiers flew in from all directions, riding various magic treasures.

In a short time, three hundred Soul Transformation experts had gathered here.

The blood-prohibited soldiers swiftly spread out, sealing off the scene with tight protection.

Soon after, a massive space vessel appeared in the distant sky.

As it drew near, a tall, broad-shouldered man in official robes stepped out into the air.

This man was Zhong Yao, Governor of Longyuan Prefecture, who had once been ordered by Prince Yuan Shuo to accompany the newly promoted third-rank array master Lin Daochen and Zhou Qing to the border to repair the Four-Color Array.

Behind him followed Xiao Ji, the governor of Lingyun Prefecture, one of the nine prefectures under his jurisdiction.

After all, the Fifth Imperial Prince’s final location had been Lingyun Prefecture.

As governor, Xiao Ji bore undeniable responsibility for this incident.

If mishandled, not only his career would be ruined, but Lingyun Prefecture and even the entire Longyuan Prefecture might be dragged into trouble.

Xiao Ji was tall and slender, his gray robe lending him an air of scholarly grace—but his face was etched with worry.

Last time, in the Spirit Skull Mountain secret realm, he had nearly died at the hands of the Ghost Emperor, barely escaping thanks to some life-saving techniques.

Afterwards, thanks to the spirit medicine sent by his old partner Zhang Yifu, and the careful nursing from his daughter Xiao Cancan and her close friend Li Shitao, he had slowly recovered.

He had barely enjoyed a few peaceful days when the governor suddenly found him, saying emissaries from the imperial capital had arrived—and that the Fifth Imperial Prince Yuan Fengtai and three Soul Transformation peak guardians had perished in his jurisdiction.

This truly startled him.

The emissary had also brought a memory stone recording the current emperor’s own vision, asking him to help locate the death site and find the killer.

After months of investigation across many regions, they now seemed to have finally confirmed the location.

The two landed and carefully studied the surroundings—the scene matched the jade slip’s records almost exactly.

It must be the place.

Then, exchanging a solemn glance, they secretly glanced back at the space vessel, a flicker of unease in their eyes, before splitting up to investigate separately.

At that moment, three figures flew past the sky on swords; upon seeing the large crowd below, their eyes lit up.

Could there be a secret realm or treasure here?

With so many gathered, this was the perfect chance to claim a share.

The three exchanged glances, understood each other, and without hesitation, directed their swords straight downward.

But one of them immediately sensed something wrong—his eyes narrowed in caution, and he shouted, “Brother Liu, their robes are uniform—they’re from the same faction!”

Another stared at the red-armored soldiers who had all turned their cold gazes toward them; he suddenly realized something, his face turning deathly pale.

He screamed in terror: “Run! These are the blood-prohibited soldiers of Longyuan Prefecture!”

But in the next instant, disaster struck.

From the hovering vessel, an overwhelming, suffocating aura erupted suddenly.

A massive hand materialized from within the cabin.

The hand was a strange bluish-black, veins bulging, nails sharp and elongated, gleaming with chilling cold.

The hand, wrapped in rolling black clouds, reached for the three—wherever it passed, air was crushed, producing deafening booms, and space itself twisted and warped.

Seeing this, the three were paralyzed with terror; they had no time to hesitate and poured every ounce of spiritual power into escape.

But the giant hand moved too fast—it caught them instantly.

With sharp cracking sounds, the three were crushed in the giant palm like fragile insects.

Their bodies could not withstand the terrifying force—they exploded into blood mist and flying chunks of flesh.

Then the hand loosened slightly, and three ethereal Primordial Spirits fled in terror from the shattered remains.

But the hand had anticipated this—it snapped shut, gripping the three Primordial Spirits tightly, then slowly retracted into the cabin.

Moments later, the cabin door slowly opened, and the eunuch Gao Xianzhong stepped out, walking with unhurried steps.

He wore a dark robe radiating sinister energy, his face deathly pale, devoid of any blood, his sunken eyes glowing with cold, chilling light.

In his hand he held a fly-whisk; its tassel was woven from strands of black thread, each strand wrapped in faint black mist.

Standing at the prow, he looked down upon the crowd below, then extended his crimson tongue to lick his lips—a sight that chilled all who saw it.

The blood-prohibited soldiers all lowered their heads, afraid to meet his gaze, terrified that even a glance from his icy eyes might bring death.

“High Eunuch!” Governor Zhong Yao and Governor Xiao Ji stepped forward to bow.

Gao Xianzhong gave a slight nod, flicking his fly-whisk lightly—the swirling black mist stirred.

He slowly descended from the prow, his gaze slicing through the surroundings like a blade.

Then he pulled out a memory stone and placed it on his shoulder, aiming it at the two, his voice shrill: “Are you certain this is the place?”

Zhong Yao, as governor of a prefecture, was normally a man whose word was law—but before Gao Xianzhong, he dared not show the slightest slackness.

This man was not merely the emperor’s most trusted eunuch; he also held absolute control over Tianzhao Prison, one of the capital’s three most feared dungeons.

In the past, a governor and several prefects had been imprisoned there for their crimes.

Rumor had it they were tortured until death was a mercy.

So Zhong Yao felt genuine fear when facing him.

“High Eunuch, we have repeatedly compared this location with the emperor’s memory footage—we are nearly certain this is where the Fifth Imperial Prince perished,” Zhong Yao said.

He turned slightly and gestured toward the scattered battle traces around them.

Gao Xianzhong narrowed his eyes, scanning the area, then pulled out a flag and handed it to Zhong Yao.

“This is the Three-Color Array: Echo of the Past. It can replay a single event that occurred here within a limited time. Set it up properly—let this eunuch see who dared murder a prince!”

Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji each took several array discs and flags, nodding repeatedly, and began setting them up.

No one noticed that in the nearby forest, two figures—one black, one white—stood silently watching.

After a long while, once all preparations were complete, the mansion’s lord, Xiao Ji, even dipped into his own pocket to inject a massive amount of spirit stones, and from the array disc at the center, light began spreading across the entire ground.

These lights continuously interwove and entwined, gradually separating into red, blue, and green hues, slowly forming intricate patterns.

Hum~

With a thunderous roar, as if time itself reversed, the scene within the array began rapidly rewinding.

Time passed slowly; everyone watched the scene inside with tense anticipation, but unexpectedly, after only rewinding half a month’s events, the interior turned pitch black.

“Too much time has passed, and this place seems to have been tampered with—even the array cannot rewind it. This is intriguing!”

Gao Xianzhong spoke in a shrill voice, a chill seeping through his tone.

“What do we do now?” Xiao Ji couldn’t help but ask.

Gao Xianzhong gave him a cold, sidelong glance. “The Fifth Imperial Prince vanished in your jurisdiction, among all eight prefectures and seventy-two mansions of the Holy Wu Empire—yet you ask me what to do?”

Zhong Yao, seeing this, felt a jolt in his chest and quickly tugged Xiao Ji’s sleeve, signaling him to say no more.

Then, with a face full of forced smiles, he respectfully said, “Your Eunuch Excellency, rest assured—we will spare no effort to investigate this to the very end.”

“From this moment on, we will increase our personnel and expand our search radius, conducting detailed investigations into every suspicious individual and beast that appeared in the array.”

“No matter who is involved, no matter the cost, we will uncover the full truth and deliver a satisfactory explanation to the imperial family—and justice to the Fifth Imperial Prince.”

Xiao Ji snapped back to his senses and hurriedly agreed: “Yes, yes, Your Eunuch Excellency, I was foolish. We’ll arrange it immediately—you won’t be disappointed.”

Gao Xianzhong snorted, his displeasure unchanged; he casually flicked his dust whisk, and the swirling black mist churned as if alive.

“Hmph, you’d better mean what you say. The Emperor is heartbroken over the Fifth Imperial Prince’s death—the entire court is shaken.”

“Especially the Fifth Prince’s mother, the Imperial Consort—she’s utterly devastated. And every family and sect tied to him? None are easy to provoke.”

“Of course, I know this is difficult—and not your fault—but since the higher-ups ordered it, this matter must be resolved. Do you understand?”

Gao Xianzhong paused, emphasizing his words.

Both men nodded vigorously. “It is our duty, Your Eunuch Excellency—rest assured.”

“Fine, get to work. My only method has failed—everything now rests on you.”

Saying this, Gao Xianzhong turned on his heel and headed toward the space vessel.

Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji exchanged glances, sighing together.

It’s been so long—how are we even supposed to investigate this?

Shh!

In the next instant, a faint yellow glow flashed through the distant woods, hurtling toward them at an impossibly sharp speed.

It pierced straight through the space between Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji—clearly aimed at Gao Xianzhong.

“Your Eunuch Excellency, beware—!” Zhong Yao was the first to react, shouting loudly.

Gao Xianzhong, nearly stepping into the space vessel, his expression changed slightly.

As a trusted confidant of the Emperor, he had faced countless battles and was already half-step into Soul Severance.

Instantly, he reacted—his hands moved swiftly, spiritual power gathering.

His previously cold face now bore a deadly intensity; his aura grew darker and more terrifying.

He thrust both palms forward—a freezing, bone-chilling black wind howled forth.

Upon closer look, the wind contained a colossal skeleton, stitched together from countless bones.

With a deafening roar, it surged forward, tearing through the black wind toward the streak of light.

But in the next instant, Gao Xianzhong froze—his confident gaze replaced by sheer shock.

For the streak of light was a yellowed scroll—and it had been utterly unaffected by the Bone-Eating Yin Wind Palm.

It passed through effortlessly, in the blink of an eye, piercing the final spiritual barrier and sinking into his chest.

Gao Xianzhong felt a strange energy instantly spreading through his body.

Without hesitation, he clenched his eyes shut, pouring all his spiritual power and spiritual sense into searching for what had entered him.

Seeing this, Prefect Zhong Yao and Lord Xiao Ji were both stunned.

Zhong Yao instinctively roared: “Blood Forbidden Army, protect Your Eunuch Excellency!”

Instantly, the surrounding Blood Forbidden Army moved, surrounding Gao Xianzhong in a tight circle.

They formed a strict defensive formation, gripping their magic treasures tightly, scanning the surroundings for any further attacks.

Meanwhile, Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji dashed toward the direction the scroll had come from at top speed.

But when they reached the woods, they found no one there.

They immediately unleashed their spiritual sense, scanning every square mile around.

Yet strangely—whether by sight or spiritual sense—they detected no trace of life.

They exchanged glances, both frowning deeply.

“Lord Xiao, split up and search!” Zhong Yao said, then sprinted off in one direction.

Xiao Ji’s expression was grave; he dared not delay.

The Fifth Imperial Prince had perished under his jurisdiction—he was already drowning in trouble. If Gao Eunuch died right under his nose, he’d have no way to defend himself.

Two hours passed before they returned, hovering in midair and locking eyes—both saw only helplessness in the other’s gaze.

With their full Soul Transformation cultivation, they had found not a single trace of the attacker.

The assailant had struck and vanished in mere breaths—how could he disappear so completely?

As they landed, Gao Xianzhong was drenched in sweat, tirelessly cycling his spiritual power through his body, searching every meridian, every acupoint.

He was filled with bitter regret—this time, he’d truly been caught off guard.

In such an isolated place, someone had a hidden weapon so potent it had fooled even him, a battle-hardened veteran.

Yet strangely, no matter how carefully he probed, his body felt empty—nothing inside.

He refused to believe the attacker had gone through all this trouble just to scare him.

Gao Xianzhong gritted his teeth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes; he turned to the two men. “Bring me every detoxifying pill you have.”

Both men hurriedly emptied their storage bags of detox pills, then gathered all three hundred detox pills from the Blood Forbidden Army.

Gao Xianzhong didn’t bother checking their types or quality—he swallowed them all at once.

His own detox pills had already been fully metabolized, yet whatever had entered him hadn’t been expelled even slightly—he couldn’t sit still.

After a stick of incense, Gao Xianzhong’s face turned ghastly pale, now tinged with an eerie bluish-gray.

His body began trembling uncontrollably; his aura grew chaotic.

As Zhong Yao stepped forward to check on him, Gao Xianzhong suddenly opened his eyes wide, veins bulging on his forehead—then, “Wah!”—he spat out a thick clot of dark blood.

His body nearly collapsed forward, but Zhong Yao and Xiao Ji reacted instantly, rushing to catch him.

【Latest update: The one who ingested the scroll has been searching his body for the [Bad Luck Scroll] with no success, then consumed massive quantities of detox pills, causing drug conflict—now his heart meridian is severely damaged.】

At that moment, Lin Jin suddenly saw a strange line of text float before his eyes.

He staggered in shock, plummeting from the sky, eyes wide with disbelief.

“What happened?” The black-robed figure ahead immediately stopped and turned back.

Lin Jin stared at him, swallowing hard.

“This [Bad Luck Scroll] actually has information!”

The black-robed figure frowned, slowly pulling off his hood to reveal Sikong Yan. “What information? What are you talking about?”

Lin Jin, in white robes, said nothing further—his mouth was dry.

And above his head, the note 【Terrifying and Strange】 instantly changed to 【Evil-Level Strange】

…

【Heart Mirror Points +20】

At Taiqingmen, Zhou Qing was feeding spirit stones to an old hen when the system’s alert chimed in his mind—he was startled.

He’d never seen such a high Heart Mirror point total before.

Who was this?

What sudden thought about him could possibly generate this?

He pulled out the Ancient Enlightenment Tea Tree and examined it closely—the leaves remained emerald green, veins clear—but now it looked no different from an ordinary potted plant.

The enlightenment aura that once instantly plunged one into a state of emptiness had vanished completely, leaving only a faint scent of grass and wood.

“Five supreme wood-element spirit stones are still needed—if Zhang Wanbao has them, I must first save up fifty regular supreme spirit stones!”

Zhou Qing frowned in worry.

Where could he possibly get the money?

As he pondered, a message arrived from Mo Xingjian via his token, instructing him to come to the peak immediately.

Zhou Qing, puzzled, left his quarters and flew there on his sword.

He soon met Mo Xingjian, who held a memory stone, his expression grave, lost in thought.

“Master!” Zhou Qing stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

Mo Xingjian snapped out of his reverie, looked up at Zhou Qing, then handed him the memory stone.

“Someone delivered a gift box to Jin Yang Peak, addressed specifically to your Senior Brother Gao Xuan—but he’s currently in seclusion with the Sect Master. So it was forwarded here—you can take a look.”

Zhou Qing stepped forward to take it, curiosity stirring within him.

Now that his master was acting Sect Master, the sect’s affairs were overwhelming—ordinary matters were handled without fanfare.

For his master to treat this so seriously and summon him personally—the memory stone must contain something extremely troubling.

As he infused spiritual power into it, a scene immediately projected: a little girl chasing butterflies in a sea of flowers…

(End of Chapter)