novelapdf Chapter 158 The Number One Beauty of Daqing
Chapter 158 The Number One Beauty of Daqing
"Who do you think he is?"
Hearing Shui Miaozheng's exclamation, Jiang Mu was startled, thinking he had misheard.
"It's Yuan Qianfan!"
Shui Miaozheng's face was pale, and her voice was filled with disbelief. "I can't be mistaken, it's Yuan Qianfan, the garrison commander of Yancheng Town, I've seen him before!" Jiang Mu was stunned.
I felt a chill run up my feet and straight to the top of my head.
This guy is actually the garrison commander of Yan Town!?
Outrageous home!
Based on his previous encounter with the heartless person in his dream and various subsequent signs, Jiang Mu confidently deduced that Yuan Qianfan was the "Black Mountain" hiding behind the scenes, instructing Si Rumeng and others to commit evil deeds.
But reality gave him a harsh slap in the face.
The other party is not only not the mastermind, but is actually already dead?
And in such a cruel way, as a human sacrifice, bled dry and died in this dark, sunless underground cave? "Who did this?"
Jiang Mu looked at the corpse and felt a chill run down her spine.
This is the garrison commander of a city!
It is the Eleventh Realm Great Repair, which is conferred by the imperial court, enjoys the incense offerings of the people, and is protected by the national destiny!
They wanted to capture such a powerful figure here quietly and perform a blood sacrifice.
To even keep it hidden from everyone outside the world, how terrifying must the mastermind's cultivation level be?
How incredibly audacious must they be?
If it weren't for the powerful beings outside engaging in a battle of magic that broke the seal on this hidden space, probably no one would have imagined that the dignified garrison commander would become a prisoner and die such a humiliating death.
Shui Miaozheng forced herself to calm down and analyzed:
"Using the flesh and blood of the garrison commander as a catalyst, and the spiritual energy of the mine demon as fuel, to ignite this dead dragon vein, and then turn the entire Yan City into a dead city... Such an act that goes against the will of Heaven and is utterly inhuman will surely be punished by Heaven."
But the person behind the scenes is cunning.
By locking Yuan Qianfan up here, he was transferring all the overwhelming karma and karmic burdens onto Yuan Qianfan!
Because Yuan Qianfan was appointed a "god among men" by the imperial court, his fate was linked to that of Yancheng, and his destiny was protected by the heavens. Even if divine punishment were to descend, he would be able to block ninety percent of it.
Jiang Mu's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly realized:
"You mean, the person behind this is pulling such a massive stunt, even sacrificing the lives of an entire city, just to use this as a springboard to reach a higher level?"
Shui Miaozheng nodded gently, her gaze deep and unfathomable.
"That's all we can guess."
Yuan Qianfan was already a powerful expert at the eleventh realm. To be able to manipulate him so easily, this person's cultivation level must be at least at the twelfth realm.
Looking across the entire Daqing region, there are only a handful of top figures in the Twelve Realms…
She dared not think any further.
But regardless, the fact remains that Yuan Qianfan died here.
Once this matter is reported to the imperial court, it will surely trigger an unprecedented earthquake.
Jiang Mu frowned and asked in confusion:
"But that makes even less sense. Elder Tian visited him before, and the garrison headquarters replied that Yuan Qianfan was in seclusion. Could it be that none of the guards and confidants outside knew that their master was gone?"
Shui Miaozheng pondered for a moment, but still couldn't figure it out, and then said:
There are only two possibilities right now.
Either someone in Yancheng is impersonating Yuan Qianfan and is using a ruse, like an empty city ploy.
Either someone had already discovered the garrison commander's disappearance and deliberately lied to conceal it in order to stabilize morale before the big battle.
"Regardless of which one it is, the current situation in Yancheng is worse than we imagined."
"Oh shit!"
Jiang Mu spat, a ruthless glint flashing in her eyes:
"Forget it, let's go back to Yancheng first! This matter must be reported immediately. It involves a power struggle of this level, which is beyond your reach." "Okay."
Shui Miaozheng responded.
Without further hesitation, Jiang Mu picked up Shui Miaozheng and quickly left the underground palace.
The two had just emerged from the ground and hadn't even had a chance to catch their breath.
"Waaaaah!!"
A low, mournful horn sound drifted faintly from the distant night sky.
Shui Miaozheng's pretty face changed drastically as she looked up towards Yancheng: "It's the demon army! The demon army has launched its final attack!"
"Depend on."
Jiang Mu couldn't help but curse.
"These beasts really know how to pick their timing. Why did they have to come at this time of year?"
"Come on, I'll take you!"
Shui Miaozheng grabbed his arm with her other hand and said urgently.
The dragon poison in her body had not actually been completely cleared, and when she circulated her cultivation technique, her whole body felt like it was on fire.
But at this moment, she couldn't care less about anything else.
The woman gritted her teeth and forcefully activated her star power. A wisp of azure water light emerged from the soles of her feet, supporting the two of them.
"Aunt Shui, your injury..."
"Stop talking nonsense, hold me tight!"
Shui Miaozheng let out a low shout, soared into the sky, and sped off towards Yancheng.
Jiang Mu only had time to wrap his arms around her slender waist.
The night breeze lifted his collar, and the warm breath, mixed with a light sweat, brushed against his ear, one breath after another, like a smoldering fire simmering newly brewed wine, carrying a hint of intoxication.
As Jiang Mu approached the outer defense zone of Yancheng, even though she had prepared herself mentally, she was still taken aback by the sight before her. Under the cover of darkness, the ground was teeming with countless moving black shadows.
Countless demons surged in from all directions like a black tide, an endless expanse, frantically charging towards the defensive lines of the various Demon Slayer Divisions. Shouts of battle, roars, and explosions echoed through the heavens.
"This is probably more than 30,000, isn't it?"
Jiang Mu clicked her tongue, her face turning ugly.
Fortunately, the defensive line set up by the Demon Slayer Division came into play.
The pre-buried talisman traps were triggered, and blinding rune lights flashed on the ground from time to time.
Large numbers of monsters were blasted away amidst the fire and thunder.
Shui Miaozheng gazes into the distance.
With the keen senses of an eighth-realm expert, her gaze pierced through the chaotic battlefield and landed on the demon army's main camp in the far distance.
The place was filled with demonic energy, with several massive auras, as large as mountains, looming over it.
Each one is at least level seven, or even level eight.
Further away, deep within the clouds, an even more profound aura lingered. The mere emanation of its pressure caused the clouds in the sky to distort.
"Tenth rank!?"
Shui Miaozheng's pretty face turned ugly, somewhat incredulous. "There's actually a tenth-tier demon? That shouldn't be the case."
Jiang Mu's heart skipped a beat.
A tenth-tier demon, a true demon king level.
Shui Miaozheng frowned and said:
"This is very unusual. According to past practice, when the demon army attacks a city, the ninth and tenth-tier demon kings rarely show themselves directly."
Because they feared the presence of the garrison commander.
The garrison commander enjoys the incense offerings of the entire city and is specifically tasked with restraining these powerful demons.
These demon kings value their lives highly and usually only send their subordinates to wear them down, unless they are absolutely certain of victory.
But now, a tenth-tier demon is personally overseeing the situation. Although it's far away, this is already a very dangerous sign.
Jiang Mu said coldly, "Unless the demon army already knows that there is no garrison commander in the city."
This guess weighed heavily on both of their hearts.
Now that Yuan Qianfan is dead, Yancheng has lost its strongest protective umbrella.
While cultivators like Tian Wenjing and Shui Miaozheng, at the eighth realm, could hold off seventh and eighth-tier demons, they were simply no match for a tenth-tier demon king. Especially considering that, as is customary, there was also an eleventh-tier great demon who was locked in a fierce battle with the garrison commander.
The two sides are completely mismatched in terms of combat strength.
"That's not right either."
Shui Miaozheng suddenly shook her head again, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.
"If these tenth-level demons were truly certain that there was no garrison commander in the city, they would have already attacked directly. There was no need to send these low-level demons to their deaths first."
They remained watching from a distance, making no move for a long time.
I think they might have just received some rumors or sensed something unusual, but they weren't sure if Yuan Qianfan was really in trouble, so they were testing the waters.
"A test?"
Jiang Mu's eyes flickered as she spoke.
"But the problem is, Yuan Qianfan is really dead, this is a dead end."
Once they've figured out our strength, they'll pounce without hesitation. How will we defend ourselves then?
Without the deterrent power of top-tier combat forces, this is a one-sided massacre.
Shui Miaozheng sighed, a look of weariness and helplessness on her face:
"Let's go find Elder Tian to discuss countermeasures first. Perhaps he can use the city's protective formation to delay the situation for a while."
"No."
Jiang Mu suddenly spoke up, "Go straight to the garrison commander's residence!"
Shui Miaozheng was taken aback, looking at him with confusion: "Why?"
Jiang Mu's eyes were burning: "I want to find out what's going on first."
Is someone impersonating Yuan Qianfan and playing the empty city ploy, or is there some other shady business hidden in this mansion?
If someone is taking the place of another, then we should confront them and force them to find a solution.
If it were something else...
"Hmph, I don't want to be used as a pawn without knowing why, and die for a cause I can't escape."
Jiang Mu was very angry.
The garrison commander is completely dead, yet there's not a single word about it in the city; they even claim to be "in seclusion."
This is clearly someone deliberately concealing something.
This concealment may have been intended to stabilize morale within the army.
But at this critical juncture of life and death, this is gambling with the lives of all the people in the city and all the demon slayers.
He had to lift the lid and see what was inside.
Shui Miaozheng thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, then let's go to the garrison commander's mansion."
Taking advantage of the darkness before the demon army could surround them, the two sneaked into Yan City.
The atmosphere in Yancheng was quite tense at this time.
The streets were deserted, and every household had its doors and windows tightly shut.
On the city walls, countless demon slayers and guards were busily moving defensive equipment, inscribing runes, and standing ready for battle.
The two avoided the patrols and soon arrived at the garrison commander's mansion.
Unlike Shangguan Luoxue's secluded underground palace, Yuan Qianfan's residence was a vast mansion.
Inside the courtyard, there was a huge circular altar that was nine zhang tall.
It is named "Tongtian".
The area around Gao was surrounded by layers of defensive formations, which condensed into a semi-transparent, pale golden barrier.
It enveloped the entire area, isolating it from the outside.
On ordinary days, Yuan Qianfan would meditate and cultivate himself on this round altar, absorbing the incense offerings.
Shui Miaozheng and Jiang Mu hid in the shadows and observed for a while.
Just as they were about to use their movement techniques to sneak in, the barrier seemed to have a mind of its own, suddenly lighting up as they approached, rippling like water.
"Who's there!?"
Several powerful guards emerged from the shadows, their spears crossed, blocking the two men at the foot of the steps.
Shui Miaozheng frowned slightly, took out a token from her waist, and said calmly:
"I am Shui Miaozheng, the commander of the Demon Slaying Division of Fazhou City. I have urgent military news and have come to see Garrison Commander Yuan. Please inform him of my presence."
The leading guard commander stepped forward.
Having clearly seen the token and Shui Miaozheng's appearance, his expression softened, but he still didn't step aside, instead cupping his hands and saying:
"So it was the Water Master."
"I'm very sorry, but the garrison commander is currently in seclusion and has strictly forbidden anyone from disturbing him."
It's the same old excuse again!
Jiang Mu sneered inwardly.
The real Yuan Qianfan's body is already cold; what kind of seclusion are you keeping here?
Is it holding your breath?
Shui Miaozheng narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, and her aura suddenly surged.
The pressure from the eighth realm surged forth like a tidal wave, causing the guards to sway and turn pale.
"The demon army has already attacked the city, and the lives of tens of thousands of people in Yan City are at stake."
I have crucial intelligence that I must report to the garrison commander in person. If this matter is delayed, who among you can bear the responsibility?!
The commander of the guards was forced to take a half step back by her imposing manner.
But he still gritted his teeth and persevered:
"Water Master, this is a death order. It's my duty, and I cannot obey!"
As he spoke, the guards around him stepped forward in unison, ready to fight at the slightest provocation.
A cold glint flashed in Shui Miaozheng's eyes, and star power was already gathering in her palm.
Since the other party is determined to stop us, we have no choice but to force our way in.
Just as tensions were running high, a deep and authoritative male voice suddenly came from inside the circular altar shrouded by the barrier.
"Let them in."
The guard commander was taken aback.
He quickly sheathed his weapon, bowed respectfully to Gao Fang, and then waved for his men to make way.
Shui Miaozheng, who was standing still, was struck by lightning at that moment.
That sound...
It was Yuan Qianfan's voice!
Filled with doubt and wariness, Shui Miaozheng took a deep breath, gave Jiang Mu a cautious look, and then stepped towards the round altar. Jiang Mu, his hand on the hilt of his sword, followed closely behind.
The two arrived at the round altar.
The originally sealed golden barrier suddenly cracked open, creating an opening just wide enough for one person to pass through.
The two stepped inside.
Stepping inside felt like entering another world.
The noise from the outside world vanished instantly, and the surroundings became unusually quiet.
The top of the round altar is wide and flat.
A huge yin-yang symbol is carved on the ground, clearly distinguished by black and white, and exuding a faint Taoist charm.
In the center of the Tai Chi diagram, there is a futon and a stone tea table.
On that futon, a man was sitting cross-legged.
The man was dressed in a loose robe, his long hair casually draped over his shoulders.
His face was square and dignified, with eyebrows like sharp swords and a short beard under his chin, exuding an aura of authority that came from long-standing power.
It was the garrison commander of Yancheng.
Yuan Qianfan!
He looked at the dumbfounded Jiang Mu and Shui Miaozheng, a faint smile playing on his lips:
"Chief Water, and this young friend Jiang. What brings you here?"
Jiang Mu and Shui Miaozheng stared intently at the living person in front of them.
It's a ghost!
If Yuan Qianfan were sitting here.
Who was that guy in the underground palace who was nailed to the wall and bled to death?
Shui Miaozheng immediately used her divine sense to investigate.
The other party was not a spirit, but a real body.
Jiang Mu narrowed his eyes, staring suspiciously at the man on the futon, and said in a deep voice:
"This is... a statue made of incense?"
He had experienced this feeling with Yu Xiaoqian and those female ghosts.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Qianfan gave a bitter smile.
"Young friend Jiang, you have a keen eye indeed; I couldn't hide anything from you."
He sighed softly, saying helplessly.
"As you can see, I am actually dead."
"What sits before you now is merely a wisp of remnant soul protected by my natal magic weapon, and a body barely formed by the incense offerings accumulated from the people over the years."
As he spoke, he gently waved his sleeve.
The once solid body suddenly became illusory.
Like wisps of smoke swaying in the wind.
The immense pressure that belonged to an eleventh-realm expert also became outwardly strong but inwardly weak, exuding a deathly decay.
Although they had already confirmed the truth in their hearts, Jiang Mu and Shui Miaozheng were still shocked to hear the garrison commander admit it to them personally. The lord of a city, the powerful regional official of Daqing, had actually disappeared without a trace.
"Who killed you?"
Jiang Mu asked.
Yuan Qianfan clenched his fist, then gradually relaxed it, and slowly said:
"It was also my fault for being careless. That day, I suddenly sensed a dense aura of death leaking from the abandoned dragon vein outside the city. Fearing that someone might be trying to use the dragon vein to perform evil magic and harm Yan City, I went to investigate alone."
Little did I know, this was a deadly trap set for me.
The other party seemed to know everything about my cultivation methods, weaknesses, and even my trump cards.
The moment I stepped into the dragon vein's grotto, the great array trap activated, severing all my connections with the outside world and suppressing my cultivation. I struggled to hold on within the array.
He barely managed to wake up for a moment a few days ago, only to find that his physical body was dead, and he was nailed to the wall with only his last breath.
Fortunately, I had left a soul-protecting artifact in this round altar in the mansion. At the risk of my soul being scattered, I managed to bring back a wisp of my soul and, with the help of incense offerings, reconstruct this body.
Shui Miaozheng said urgently, "If that's the case, why don't you report to the imperial court and ask for help?"
"Of course I reported it."
Yuan Qianfan smiled wryly, "But you should know better than I what the state of Daqing is like now."
The imperial court has already run out of top-notch experts at its disposal.
Moreover, according to the ironclad rule, local garrison commanders are not allowed to leave their jurisdictions without authorization.
The closest person to me is General Shangguan of Huzhou City. Not long ago, she injured her Dao foundation while fighting against the Mist Demon and is currently in seclusion to heal her wounds. She is completely unable to provide assistance.
"Is the imperial court just going to stand by and watch the demon army swallow up Yan City?"
A surge of anger welled up in Jiang Mu's heart, and her tone became icy.
"Since you already knew you couldn't hold out, why send us, these so-called reinforcements, here? To die?"
It would have been better to just order the city abandoned from the start and relocate the people!
Yuan Qianfan looked at Jiang Mu's angry eyes, but wasn't angry. She said softly:
"How easy is it to relocate the people of a city?"
The imperial court would not stand idly by. After all, these were the people of a city; if Yan City fell, the nation's fortunes would inevitably decline, something the court absolutely did not want to see.” He then dropped another bombshell:
"The secret letter from the imperial court told me to stabilize the situation first."
They are negotiating with a powerful figure in the martial arts world. If they can hold out for a few more days, this powerful figure will intervene to lift the siege of Yancheng. "Martial arts outside help?"
Shui Miaozheng was somewhat surprised, but upon further reflection, it made perfect sense.
As Yuan Qianfan said, the court is currently short of manpower, and the demon race has become increasingly rampant in recent years, leaving very few people available to send. Even garrison commanders are scarce and cannot be assigned to every city.
This is why the imperial court cooperated with the martial arts world.
Previously, the Heavenly Sword Sect had been secretly raising demonic creatures, and the imperial court had turned a blind eye to it.
"Who is that powerful figure in the underworld they're negotiating with?"
Shui Miaozheng asked curiously.
Those who are entrusted with high hopes by the imperial court at this critical juncture are by no means unknown figures, so who would step forward?
Moreover, it should be noted that many martial arts figures actually disdain the imperial court.
Especially those with higher levels of cultivation.
The more they despise the law.
Yuan Qianfan's expression became somewhat complicated, and he slowly uttered a sentence:
"The woman who was suppressed beneath the divine lake."
Upon hearing this, Shui Miaozheng's pupils constricted sharply, and she gasped in shock, her usually dignified face filled with horror.
"It's her!?"
That name exploded in her mind like a thunderclap.
Ling Ye's master!
Shangguan Luoxue's grandmaster!
The previous leader of the Cold Moon Sect was a peerless powerhouse who was once hailed as the most beautiful woman in Daqing.
Back then, she fell in love with that great demon named Jiang Chaoxi, and did not hesitate to betray the righteous path and willingly fall into the demonic path.
He even changed his surname to "Jiang".
Even after being suppressed beneath the divine lake for decades, the love-struck fool never bowed his head or admitted his mistakes.
Jiang Ruoxi!