Chapter 156: I Believe

"Since Lord Shen has spoken, this young woman will naturally comply. From now on, my Tingfeng Pavilion will follow your rules, Lord!"

"Can you speak for Tingfeng Pavilion?"

"Of course!" Standing at the entrance, she bowed lightly toward Shen Yu from afar, then said, "My name is Mu Shang, and I serve as the Pavilion Master of Tingfeng Pavilion. Lord Shen may call me Shang'er!"

"Lord, you are different from them. Everyone who sees me reveals a look of obsession; only you, Lord Shen, have maintained this calm demeanor throughout!"

"Your strength of character is admirable, Lord. Our Tingfeng Pavilion will naturally obey your rules!"

"Is that so? Then what if I want you to hand over everything in Tingfeng Pavilion that cannot see the light of day?"

"Then I shall hand them all over to you, Lord, without keeping a single one, to show our sincerity!" Facing Shen Yu, Mu Shang appeared very obedient, as if she would follow every word.

Her entire person was clearly impervious to blades and spears, with absolutely no flaws, leaving one with no way to strike.

"Lord, I have already said just now that my Tingfeng Pavilion is a place that follows the law. Whatever you say, Lord, we will do!"

"If you do not believe me, Lord, please follow me. My Tingfeng Pavilion has many things; you may take them all, Lord!"

As she spoke, Mu Shang turned to walk into Tingfeng Pavilion, but then felt something was wrong. When she looked back, she discovered that Shen Yu was standing where he was and had not moved at all.

"Lord Shen, why are you standing at the entrance? Are you not coming in?"

"I will not enter this door for the time being; I am afraid!" Shaking his head, Shen Yu looked at Mu Shang with a smile, but his feet showed no intention of walking inside.

"Why, what is Lord Shen afraid of? Are you afraid that I might eat you?"

Standing at the entrance, Mu Shang looked back with a charming smile, as if in an instant she had captured the creation of heaven and earth, gathering the beauty of nature into one; it was indescribably perfect.

Everyone was intoxicated by such beauty, and only the caution and defense in Shen Yu's eyes increased a little more.

"Yes, I am truly afraid that Miss Mu Shang might eat me!"

"Lord, you are joking. I am but a weak woman; how could I have the ability to eat people, especially when you are such a hero, Lord?"

"That may not be so. As the saying goes, a bed of gentleness is a hero's grave. A beauty like Pavilion Master Mu can even dissolve one's soul and erode one's bones. I am afraid that if I go in, not even a scrap of my skull will be left!"

"That He Yuan was considered a loyal and upright man back in the day, but after meeting the Pavilion Master, he began to degenerate, eventually falling into an abyss from which he could not extricate himself. Such a warning from the past makes one have to be on guard!"

"Lord Shen, this young woman cannot agree with that!" Gently stroking her hair, Mu Shang shook her head, her expression full of desolation.

"It was clearly He Yuan who chose to degenerate; why push it onto us women? There is no such logic in the world. Could it be that even you, Lord Shen, have such prejudice against us!"

"I certainly have no prejudice against the women of the world, but you, Mu Shang, are different!"

"Because I could tell at a glance that you are not a living person. You thought that by wearing a human skin, I wouldn't be able to tell!"

A vast and mighty Sword Intent suddenly appeared, rushing straight toward the Mu Shang before him, as if to pierce through her completely.

Before anyone could react, Shen Yu had already made his move, and he did so without any warning.

What they did not expect even more was that the target of Shen Yu's attack was the seemingly powerless Mu Shang, and even Mu Shang herself was caught off guard.

That terrifying Sword Intent was enough to snap mountains and shift seas; its instantaneous surge seemed to whip up towering waves, intending to crush everything into powder.

Yet, such a terrifying sword strike, upon touching Tingfeng Pavilion, did not destroy everything as imagined, but instead seemed to have collided with a wall of copper and iron.

A huge, booming sound followed, and the entire Anzhou City seemed to have experienced a major earthquake.

The Tingfeng Pavilion before them remained safe and sound, though the Huwe at the entrance were shredded by the aftermath of the Sword Qi.

And that Mu Shang, who was so perfect she seemed not of this world, though she still stood there without falling, had a face covered in scars, as if it were about to split open.

The face that had originally made people obsessed was destroyed completely in an instant.

It was as if a perfect work of art had been shattered, making everyone who saw this scene feel a pang of heartache.

"Lord Shen truly has a sharp eye. When did you see it?"

"The moment I first saw you. You should not have appeared before me!"

Standing with his sword in one hand, Shen Yu said coldly, "What exactly are you? A Puppet? A Living Dead?"

"Heh, say whatever you like?" Stroking her own face, Mu Shang laughed softly. The smile on her now-furrowed face appeared ugly and terrifying, yet she did not notice it at all.

"As long as I have this face that captivates the masses, it doesn't matter what you say, because others simply won't believe you."

"They would rather believe in my beauty that topples cities than believe in the truth that comes from your heart!"

"Is that so? You should look at what you look like now. 'Captivates the masses'? Aren't you afraid of scaring others in broad daylight!"

"What?" Seeming to be awakened by Shen Yu, and seeing the expressions of the people around him, Mu Shang finally felt that something was wrong.

Their gazes and their expressions no longer revealed the obsession she saw everywhere in the past, but rather disgust and fear.

She hurriedly took out a mirror to look at herself. When she saw her reflection, Mu Shang nearly collapsed; the expression on her face became even more ferocious due to terror.

"My face, how could it be like this, how could it be like this!" Raising her head, Mu Shang looked at Shen Yu with a venomous gaze, as if she wanted to swallow him alive.

"Shen Yu, you dare to ruin my face!"

"Do you know that this face of mine was meticulously carved over a hundred years, fusing the beauty of countless young girls!"

"I collected beauties from all over the world, took their pretty faces, and fused them into this face of mine. I went through countless modifications and spent I don't know how much effort to finally piece together such a perfect face."

"Such a face was actually ruined by you! How could you be so cruel! If I want to get another one, it will take at least several decades of work."

"Shen Yu, you have truly made me very angry!"

"And what if you are angry!" Pointing his sword coldly at her, Shen Yu did not hide his killing intent in the slightest.

"This official is right here; if you have the ability, come over!"

"Hahaha, Shen Yu, Lord Shen, you are merely trying to trick me into coming out, but I will not do as you wish!"

"Shen Yu, I have to say, you are truly a heartless and ruthless man. Even an iron man should have turned into soft silk under my beauty, yet you drew your sword against me!"

"This young woman did not expect there to be an expert like you in this world. A casual sword strike of yours was able to make my Pavilion Protecting Array nearly shatter, and even this flawless face of mine was ruined by you."

"Can you stop being so hypocritical? It's truly disgusting."

"If Lord Shen doesn't like it, then make your move!" Standing at the entrance, Mu Shang shouted loudly without a care, "I am standing right here; if you have the ability, come and kill me!"

"Lord!" The Mu Shang inside had made up her mind not to come out. Beside him, Wu Si'an hurriedly said, "Lord, the opportunity must not be missed; we absolutely cannot let her escape!"

"Just now, Lord, you heard her say it herself: this person has harmed I don't know how many people for the sake of that face. She is absolutely wicked to the core. Please, Lord, act quickly and eliminate this villain!"

"Wu Si'an, don't waste your breath. Your Lord Shen will not make a move. He is afraid of damaging the precious vase; he doesn't dare!"

"Mu Shang, the courage of the Governor is something a despicable villain like you could ever fathom!"

"Is that so? Then why doesn't he make a move?" Mu Shang did not take Wu Si'an's words to heart at all, and a look of mockery even appeared on his face.

"Governor Shen loves the people as his own children, which is why he will not make a move. Because the Array of my Tingfeng Pavilion has already been connected to the ley lines of the entire Anzhou City; if he were to forcibly break the Array, it would only trigger a massive earthquake!"

"When that time comes, the entirety of Anzhou City, both inside and out, will collapse along with my Tingfeng Pavilion, and there will inevitably be countless casualties!"

"Come to think of it, I must thank He Yuan; if not for him, how could the Great Array of my Tingfeng Pavilion have been completed so easily? It is a pity that He Yuan is no longer the Governor, otherwise, how could my Tingfeng Pavilion be in such a passive position!"