The gusts of wind dispersed, and everyone looked up towards the center of the storm.
The Wan Ku Lou’s old楼主’s killing blow against Lü Yiyi was directly blocked by the new Alliance Leader, Feng Ying. The Alliance Leader gripped his right hand, while he used his left hand, clad in a profound iron gauntlet, to parry the dagger aimed at his wrist tendons.
Lü Yiyi poked her head out and smiled at the old楼主, but her words dripped with killing intent: “You want to kill me? Is Wan Ku Lou planning to go to war with my Lingyun Sect? Or is this feast you’re hosting today meant for killing to achieve enlightenment?”
The old楼主’s pupils constricted. The fierce killing intent in his sinister eyes seemed to pierce Lü Yiyi’s chest, even through the human wall.
Lü Yiyi exaggeratedly took two steps back, clutching her chest as if struck by extreme fear, her voice trembling, “Did I say something right? Is this feast of yours, Wan Ku Lou, a banquet of Hongmen?”
“Sister Ying, Zhi Qi, Yu Yao, let’s go quickly.”
Lü Yiyi’s panic escalated as she spoke, her voice rising to a shout in the end.
Wei Ruyun grabbed Lü Yiyi’s wrist, pulling her behind him to shield her. Looking at the Wan Ku Lou old楼主 who had attacked with a killing move, he felt anger rise in his heart but still apologized for Lü Yiyi’s impudent words: “My junior sister was spoiled by us since childhood. If there was any offense to senior, we hope for your understanding.”
“Hehehehehehe~”
Wei Ruyun was met with a sinister laugh. He laughed like a crow cursing from a treetop. Close by, Nan Shiying felt the demonic sound pierce her ears.
His laughter made everyone frown uncomfortably.
Was there something to laugh about?
“There is one thing that sharp-tongued girl didn’t get wrong,” he said slowly after he had laughed enough, his voice imbued with a darkness and malice that felt like an invisible hand instantly constricting everyone’s throats.
“I am indeed going to kill to achieve enlightenment today!”
As his voice fell, a chill seized everyone’s hearts, and a bad premonition spread through their bodies.
“Kill who?”
Nan Shiying asked.
The old楼主 looked directly at Nan Shiying, then scanned the crowd: “You… and everyone present!”
Hearing this, Lin Junyi’s steps towards Nan Shiying faltered. Then, he moved past the crowd to stand beside Nan Shiying, looking at the old楼主 with cold eyes, and questioned with a smile, “With just you?”
Lin Junyi stepping forward was something everyone had not expected. His subsequent move to stand half a step behind Feng Ying’s side further baffled them. However, at this moment, no one had the leisure to guess Lin Junyi’s thoughts or the nature of his relationship with Feng Ying. After the initial dread and panic, a common thought simultaneously arose in everyone’s minds: How could he so brazenly claim to kill everyone present? Could it be the food these past few days…?
Thinking of this, everyone’s faces gradually turned pale.
“Jingle~”
Amidst the silence, a bell sound suddenly rang out. Everyone was slightly startled, and the next moment, a soul-rending pain erupted from the depths of their minds.
“Ah——”
A惨烈 cry tore through the sky.
Lin Junyi’s head felt as if it were about to explode, as if something were burrowing into his brain, gnawing and sucking.
He pressed his hands to his head, in so much pain that he could barely stand.
Wei Ruyun scanned the surroundings, looking at the people curled on the ground, clutching their heads and wailing, his expression bewildered. What was going on?
“You guys?”
Seeing Nan Shiying and the others still standing unharmed, the old楼主’s previously confident demeanor finally showed cracks.
Huang Yuyao and Wei Ruyun were confused, but Dai Zhiqi and Lü Yiyi understood perfectly.
Seeing Wei Ruyun also standing as if unaffected, Nan Shiying finally turned her head and cast a fixed glance at Lü Yiyi. Lü Yiyi still gave Nan Shiying a foolishly sweet smile.
Nan Shiying let out a soft laugh.
She turned her head, her eyes landing on the profound iron gauntlet on the old楼主’s left hand. Golden light pierced her black pupils, spreading from the depths of her irises to her entire eyeballs. The profound iron gauntlet melted into molten iron in an instant. The scalding molten iron soaked his hand. Before the intense pain could reach his brain, the blood splashing from the dagger piercing his wrist landed on the old楼主’s face.
“Ah!”
The intense pain made him let out a shrill cry.
Nan Shiying deeply adhered to the principle of striking while the iron is hot. After piercing the opponent’s wrist and severing his left wrist tendons, she channeled her internal energy into her palm and shattered his dan tian with a single blow. The scattered internal energy from the ruptured dan tian, like headless flies, crashed into his internal organs and flesh.
In an instant, the old楼主 was crippled.
Stepping on the fallen bell, Nan Shiying grabbed the old楼主 by his hair, placed her foot on the back of his knee, and forced him to kneel on the ground.
The piercing pain dissipated like smoke. Lin Junyi took a breath, and his body, which had gone limp from the pain, finally regained its energy. He slowly stood up, still feeling a chill down his spine.
“Is it a蛊?”
Lin Junyi did not understand蛊 worms well, but he had heard of Miao Jiang’s蛊 worms from his elders. The situation just now did not feel like poisoning, but rather like being afflicted by蛊. He asked Nan Shiying, seeking a definitive answer.
Nan Shiying gave a soft hum.
Lin Junyi’s expression immediately turned grim. He drew the sword at his waist and thrust it towards the old楼主’s chest. Nan Shiying retracted her sleeve, her sleeve coiling around the blade. Seeing Nan Shiying’s obstruction, Lin Junyi did not push his force further. He assumed she did not know how to remove the蛊, so he explained: “If we have indeed been afflicted by蛊, then only by killing the one who cast the蛊 can it be resolved!”
Nan Shiying looked at him noncommittally, her cloud-like sleeves still not retracted.
Lin Junyi opened his mouth, something stuck in his throat, unable to be uttered.
“I will take this person away.”
“Alliance Leader, we should kill him!”
“Yes, Alliance Leader, if you don’t wish to act, then we will!”
“Alliance Leader, we can agree to you on other matters, but not this one!”
Perhaps those present did not understand what蛊 was, but after hearing Lin Junyi’s words, they knew the optimal solution. How could they stand by and watch Feng Ying take away the person who could control them and hold their lives in his hands?
The楼主 of Wan Ku Lou might not have intended to kill everyone. He might have only intended to kill the new Martial Alliance Leader and his supporters. His goal was to use蛊 to control the entire martial world. His plan had failed, but if the Alliance Leader took the person away, she could use the old楼主 as a medium to control everyone.
Even if she didn’t think of it, she wouldn’t do it. But who would willingly place their life in another’s hands without reservation?
As the crowd spoke, they gradually moved towards Nan Shiying.
Lin Junyi drew his sword back and stepped to the side, blocking in front of her. Lü Yiyi pushed Wei Ruyun aside and stood to Nan Shiying’s right. She pulled out her hairpin and clutched it in her hand, her expression turning icy, a stark contrast to her previous demeanor.
Huang Yuyao was slightly stunned. As Dai Zhiqi pulled her to stand behind Nan Shiying, she couldn’t help but look at Lü Yiyi.
What? How did you change so suddenly?