Chapter 194: Death Soldiers

Half a shichen earlier, Sheng Yuanyao looked at Anuo, who had come to find her, with a strange expression: "Why do you want me to close the Green Jade Garden? Do you have any idea how much a single cup of tea costs there right now?"

Anuo said honestly: "Because Master wants to deal with assassins there, and he's afraid of accidentally hurting the visitors."

"Why does your Master dealing with assassins have to cost me money… ah, no, I mean—your Master is dealing with assassins, so why aren't you there?"

"I'm heading over in a bit anyway. They're on their way too."

"Them…?" Sheng Yuanyao grew alert: "Who else is coming!"

Anuo clapped a hand over her little mouth, her eyes rolling about.

Sheng Yuanyao exploded: "Using my money, my garden! And flirting with Pei Chuyun, right!"

Anuo turned to run: "Um, I'm going to help Master now…"

"Stop right there!" Sheng Yuanyao grabbed her: "I'm coming too! It's just ambushing assassins—surely they won't be scared off just because I show up?"

"They will, they will! Sister Yao is invincible—any assassin who sees Sister Yao wouldn't dare come out!"

"Save the flattery." Sheng Yuanyao carried Anuo out of the office, only for a subordinate to walk in carrying manuscripts: "Editor-in-chief, these are the updates on the new talents from the south—several of them have quite impressive records…"

"Leave them there for now, I need to take the afternoon off." Sheng Yuanyao dashed off to the Deputy Captain's office: "Deputy Zhou, I have something on this afternoon, I'd like to take leave."

The Deputy Captain lifted his head from his paperwork, his eyes circling Anuo's face: "What for? Surely not another visit to the Green Jade Garden? The Chief has ordered that such things are not to be approved from now on."

Anuo laughed.

Everyone really does understand Sister Gua.

Sheng Yuanyao ground her teeth. They won't approve an honest reason, so you have to make one up, huh? Well, isn't that simple?

She said with full conviction: "My father is ill."

Deputy Zhou: "?"

He casually called a subordinate: "Go see if the Chief is in."

Sheng Yuanyao grew anxious: "Why bother the Chief over something this small?"

Deputy Zhou was silent for a moment: "Just to see if he's sick… Has Editor-in-chief Sheng perhaps forgotten who her own sick father is?"

Sheng Yuanyao: "…"

The subordinate quickly returned: "The Chief really isn't in today."

Deputy Zhou was stunned for a moment, then saw Sheng Yuanyao standing with hands on hips: "See? Would I lie?"

Deputy Zhou had no choice but to approve the leave, and Sheng Yuanyao grabbed Anuo and dashed off.

Watching Sheng Yuanyao's frantically retreating back, Deputy Zhou sighed: "If the Chief really is unwell, I'll have to gather some colleagues and visit the Sheng residence to pay my respects."

While Sheng Yuanyao rushed headlong toward the Green Jade Garden, a group of high officials from the Demon-Suppression Bureau arrived at the Sheng residence bearing gifts.

When curious passersby asked, the answer was: Chief Sheng is unwell, we've come to visit.

Before long, the entire capital was abuzz with the news that Chief Sheng was unwell.

A peak second-grade powerhouse falling ill—how strange. Could it be an assassination attempt by a great demon?

Sheng Qingfeng hadn't gone to work on time that afternoon because he was at home receiving a visit from Pei Qingyan.

Pei Qingyan had come to pull strings for his daughter. Pei Chuyun wanted to go to the second layer of the Demon-Subduing Domain to find a succubus, so she asked her father to cash in some face with Sheng Qingfeng. Though Pei Qingyan didn't know his daughter's true purpose in going to the second layer, he did think the place was quite suitable for her to train, so he came to trade on his reputation.

Sheng Qingfeng was just saying that such a small matter as the second layer of the Demon-Subduing Domain naturally called for giving Prime Minister Pei face, and the two were in the middle of a pleasant chat, when there was a commotion outside and a retainer came in wiping sweat to report: "Master, colleagues from the Demon-Suppression Bureau are here to visit. They say they heard Master is unwell and have come to pay their respects."

Sheng Qingfeng was dumbfounded: "Unwell? How come I don't know about this?"

"They say the Young Lady requested leave, saying her father is ill."

Sheng Qingfeng was utterly speechless.

Pei Qingyan nearly laughed out loud, and kindly suggested: "Chief, if this gets out it won't look good for your daughter. I think you'd better just pretend to be ill."

Sheng Qingfeng said irritably: "At my level of cultivation, how could I fall ill? If I claimed qi deviation, I'd lose my position."

Pei Qingyan consoled him: "Just pin it on some assassin—then it counts as a work injury… This Prime Minister will testify on your behalf."

The newly appointed Chief of the Demon-Suppression Bureau had been in office for one month when northern-border demons, fearing his reputation, sent a great demon to infiltrate and assassinate him. Chief Sheng, brave and invincible, repelled the assassin. The Emperor, upon hearing the news, bestowed a generous amount of medicinal ingredients to honor his loyalty and valor. The entire capital's Demon-Suppression Bureau agents fanned out in all directions to hunt down the great demon.

Amid all the commotion, Pei Chuyun and Lu Xingzhou sat side by side by the lake, watching the gently rippling water: "Speaking of which, the Green Jade Garden is usually so crowded—why is it empty today?"

Knowing full well that people from the Alchemy Academy were lurking about, the little demon girl didn't dare lean into the man's arms. This supposedly secret rendezvous wasn't even as comfortable as Lu Xingzhou and Sheng Yuanyao's world for two—at least back then they weren't afraid of being affectionate.

Lu Xingzhou replied: "Of course it's because the people of the capital are perceptive—they know that Miss Pei wants to have a private rendezvous with her lover here."

"Save it." Pei Chuyun said with a smile: "How could I have a lover? Would a lover dare touch me?"

Lu Xingzhou: "…"

"Hey…" Pei Chuyun nudged him: "You're using Sheng Yuanyao's place, you made her clear it out, and it's to flirt with me—Sheng Yuanyao won't lose it?"

"Yuanyao and I are friends… it's not what you think."

"Keep deceiving each other, then." Pei Chuyun said cheerfully: "But she's far more miserable than I am. I only need to give the Pei family a little face on the surface—I myself don't care. As for her, she can't even see past it herself."

Lu Xingzhou was silent for a moment, then said softly: "She deserves a better home too."

"Saying one thing, meaning another." Pei Chuyun glanced at him and smiled: "It's just that the current you really can't muster the nerve to claim you're any good home, or that you're worth someone honestly becoming your concubine."

Lu Xingzhou didn't boast—he just smiled and said nothing.

When Pei Chuyun said this ostensibly about Sheng Yuanyao, wasn't she also talking about herself?

Actually, purely in terms of cultivation speed, apart from the past when his meridians were severed and he couldn't progress, since his legs healed, Lu Xingzhou's growth was truly unprecedented. Going from seventh grade to fourth grade in just half a year—history had never seen the like. Even Huo Heng suspected he was popping pills…

Filling up fourth grade was just a matter of time for energy accumulation—easy to handle. The key was the great threshold of third grade—no one could confidently claim they'd break through it in the short term. That was something countless people had been stuck on for a lifetime.

It was something that required enduring a minor heavenly tribulation—the Heavenly Dao itself recognized it as a tremendous watershed. If you couldn't break through, forget everything else. Even delaying a few years would be hard to bear, let alone anything else—the little demon girl who's all over you right now might just abandon you.

But Lu Xingzhou had never felt this would be a problem in his heart… If even this kind of hurdle became an obstacle, then he'd have no face to stand before them either.

He thought for a moment, and finally answered with this one line: "There's one thing you said that's wrong."

Pei Chuyun asked curiously: "Which part?"

"You said a lover wouldn't dare touch you… of course he would." Lu Xingzhou leaned closer and closer: "If we don't create the illusion of being so lost in love we forget ourselves, how do we fish…"

Pei Chuyun pushed against his mouth: "You want to fish, but what about my reputation… your Mr. is watching…"

That was what was said, yet the refusal was utterly powerless.

Though her words were vicious on the surface—speaking of "breaking free from your influence" and "you are no good destination"—they were merely a reason to harden her heart for parting. Beneath lay a suppressed longing to nestle into his embrace and kiss, a desire she had been holding back for who knows how long.

She had absolutely no resistance to his advances, feigning resistance while welcoming him.

To the onlookers lying in wait, it looked as though Lu Xingzhou, under the guise of a date, had started making improper moves, while Miss Pei was resisting.

Just because a young lady agrees to a date doesn't mean she's willing to do that and this with you so quickly, you filthy pervert!

"Shing!"

Just as Lu Xingzhou's mouth was about to touch Pei Chuyun's flushed cheek, a sword light erupted suddenly, like an immortal descending from the heavens, arriving in an instant.

The shimmering lake light before them seemed illuminated by the brilliance of this sword's glow, as if trapped within an array of ten thousand swords.

The young couple, seemingly lost in deep affection, simultaneously dodged aside; one hand, graceful as a butterfly, swept toward the swordsman's Hukou, while the other leg kicked swiftly, striking at the swordsman's waist.

Yet, just as this sword, which seemed to seize the blessings of heaven and earth, approached the young couple's range by a few zhang, the swordsman felt trapped in a quagmire, hindered by an array.

"A trap!" The thought flashed through the swordsman's mind. He did not linger, twisting his body to kick Lu Xingzhou's leg, using the force to float backward and withdraw immediately.

The space behind him suddenly collapsed, as if he had fallen into another dimension.

Lady Ye, veiled, appeared in the distance behind them, her hand pressed against a dharma seal, her long hair flying wildly.

Though it was clearly daytime, it seemed as if countless stars filled the firmament, weaving a net of heaven and earth from which there was no escape.

"First Grade!" The swordsman was shocked in his heart and, with extreme decisiveness, crushed a jade talisman.

"Boom!" The air at that spot exploded, and the assassin had vanished without a trace.

"Spatial escape technique, instantaneous teleportation..." Ye Tinglan looked at Pei Chuyun with deep meaning, quickly locked onto the direction of the escape, and instantly pursued until he disappeared.

Pei Chuyun broke out in a cold sweat: "Your Mr., he is so powerful..."

"Her glance at you meant she knew you possess a similar escape technique." Lu Xingzhou asked urgently: "Can you lock onto the location where the opponent fled?"

"No. I don't even know how this Mr. locked onto it..." Pei Chuyun, whose blood had nearly congealed under Lady Ye's gaze, still felt lingering fear: "Does she suspect I am in league with this assassin?"

Lu Xingzhou turned to look at the spot where the swordsman and Lady Ye had vanished, shaking his head: "There are many spatial escape techniques; it's not just the Cha Nu He Huan Sect that has them..."

Some faction, whose ranks include a top-tier swordsman of the Demonic Path and possesses spatial escape techniques.

According to logic, a First Grade power could achieve this, but if it is not the Huo Family, not the Prince of Jin, then which family possesses such ability? Was Lady Ye's glance suspecting the Pei Family?

It was not impossible... Pei Qingyan, not wanting his daughter to mix with a ruffian, sending someone to assassinate her, would be logical.

Pei Chuyun also thought of this layer, her face turning deathly pale: "No, it shouldn't be..."

Lu Xingzhou rubbed her head: "It's fine. Actually, if it is your family, it is a good thing, meaning if I leave wisely, there will be no follow-up. If it is some other unknown power, that is troublesome, as we don't even know the opponent's purpose."

Pei Chuyun's expression was very ugly: "Then I hope your Mr. can catch the assassin and restore the truth."

On that side, the assassin, having instantly teleported, had already reached a certain spot within the city, his heart more shocked than Lu Xingzhou's.

Who exactly is that veiled woman, so terrifying that she could even track a spatial escape technique that teleports several li? Her aura is already following behind; he has never seen such a thing in his life!

However, fortunately, he teleported first, creating a momentary time difference; as long as he hides in the streets and alleys of the Wang Hou residential area ahead, that woman cannot enter to search.

Just as he thought this, several fierce generals of the Demon Suppression Bureau swept past ahead: "This person just emerged from a spatial escape technique; he might be the demon who assassinated the Head Seat. Capture him!"

Swordsman: "?"

How did the Demon Suppression Bureau start searching for demons at this time? Who the hell would assassinate the Head Seat at this time?

In that momentary obstruction, Lady Ye had already appeared behind him.

With a wolf ahead and a tiger behind, the swordsman had no way to ascend to the sky nor enter the earth. He smiled bitterly, suddenly severing his meridians, and fell to the ground, dead.

Ye Tinglan frowned and stepped forward to inspect, feeling shocked in his heart as well; he truly did not expect the opponent to be so resolute, severing his meridians without a second word.

A death soldier...

A Third Grade powerhouse, one of the few in the world, how many people have the qualification to use them as death soldiers? Even if the Pei Family and Huo Family have many Third Grade powerhouses under their command, they do not have the qualification to use them as death soldiers!

Who does this person belong to?

"This Lady." The crowd of the Demon Suppression Bureau stepped forward, surrounding Ye Tinglan: "What is your situation with this person?"

"This person is the assassin who attacked the students of the Alchemy Academy in the Demon Subduing Domain that day. This time, the Alchemy Academy set a trap; thanks for your assistance. The background of this matter is something your Chief Editor experienced personally, so you are relatively clear. Please have the Demon Suppression Bureau take the body back for a detailed investigation of his origin. Hmm... perhaps your Head Seat's assassination is also somewhat related to him?"

As Ye Tinglan spoke, he stood up, his beautiful eyes falling on a spot not far to the side.

The location where the assassin instinctively fled was here; he most likely emerged from here.

But this area is mostly the residences of Wang Hou...

Inside, there is not only the Prince of Jin, but many others.

(End of this chapter)