In a short while, fewer than half of the nearly a hundred black-clothed figures in Qing Huang Palace remained.
Those black-clothed figures finally realized that their advantages—superior numbers, familiarity with the terrain, and supposed superior martial arts—were utterly insignificant in the face of Si Feng Wu and Lu Qing Wan.
This was because the two of them were not there to fight. They interrogated first, and killed anyone who refused to answer.
The pair acted like emotionless killing machines that had somehow come to life.
This sent the group into a panic, and they finally broke down crying, "Stop killing! I'll talk!"
Even so, Lu Qing Wan still killed two of the black-clothed figures who tried to block her path before stopping.
"Speak, where is the person?"
The steel whip pressed against the black-clothed man's chin, and with a slight exertion of force, it could pierce his throat.
The man stood there nervously, maintaining a semi-crouching position, even his breathing seemed cautious.
"They are in the underground palace beneath the main hall. It's true, I swear I'm not lying to you."
Lu Qing Wan did not act immediately upon receiving the answer. Instead, she pressed further, "Why did the guards outside say they were here? What is your intention in ambushing us here?"
Lu Qing Wan’s expression was relaxed, her tone casual, showing no hint of a harsh interrogation.
Yet, this demeanor of treating lives as mere playthings terrified the black-clothed men, extinguishing any will to resist.
"Everything was arranged by the Grand Elder. We were merely following orders. We don't know why the Grand Elder made such arrangements..."
"If you don't know, then die!"
Without another word, Lu Qing Wan tightened her grip, and the sharp point at the end of the steel whip pierced through the man’s throat. Seeing this, the other black-clothed men froze collectively, not daring to move an inch.
Lu Qing Wan's cold gaze swept over them. "I will ask again, why are you here?"
Having spoken, she again pressed the steel whip against another black-clothed man's dan tian. For a martial artist, a ruined dan tian was worse than death.
The man trembled and finally spoke, "The Grand Elder said you have a drug called a truth serum. Once you couldn't find the Palace Master and his wife, you would definitely use it on the brothers outside. So, he deliberately told the brothers outside that the Palace Master and his wife were in Qing Huang Palace, to lure you here and trap you. He, along with the Third Life Pavilion Master and the Grand Elder, led people to destroy your ship, preventing you from returning to land..."
The black-clothed man hesitated for a long time before adding, "If I'm not mistaken, the day you attacked Illusion Night Island was also the day the Turks and Southern Qi launched a full-scale attack on your dynasty."
Lu Qing Wan's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively looked at Si Feng Wu.
However, it was precisely in this moment of distraction that the man, who had appeared honest and timid, suddenly rose and charged towards the rear.
Seeing this, the other black-clothed men also became chaotic, and Lu Qing Wan instinctively felt a bad premonition.
She raised her hand and fired a shot, hitting the back of the charging black-clothed man's head. Immediately after, with a thunderous roar, a powerful blast of energy erupted from behind the phoenix screen in the center of Qing Huang Palace.
The searing heat wave surged forward, instantly engulfing the entire Qing Huang Palace.
Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu were violently thrown onto the open ground outside Qing Huang Palace.
Before Lu Qing Wan could even comprehend what had happened, she scrambled backward with all her might. There, a black-clothed woman lay on the ground, seemingly lifeless. In the explosion, it was this woman who had used her formidable internal energy to push them both out.
She raised her wrist to check the woman's pulse, while Si Feng Wu stumbled over. "How is she?"
Lu Qing Wan shook her head repeatedly. "Her internal organs are severely injured, and she was poisoned."
Si Feng Wu's eyes were filled with sorrow. "Was it her who reminded us to go to the main hall just now?"
Lu Qing Wan did not answer. She took out a pill and gave it to the woman. "I can only try to alleviate her suffering. I just don't know if she has any unfinished business..."
A stranger, upon their first encounter, had warned them to go to the main hall to save Prince Cheng An and his wife. Now, she had saved their lives. Although Lu Qing Wan could not save her, she felt she had to do something.
After taking the pill, the woman suddenly awoke and then struggled to raise her hand.
Lu Qing Wan quickly held her hand. "What do you want to say? Slow down your breathing, don't rush, speak slowly. I will help you buy more time."
The woman blinked weakly and managed to utter, "I... I am Meng Fu Su... Believe me..."
Lu Qing Wan was shocked. "You are Meng Fu Su? If you are still alive, then who was that Meng Fu Su?"
The woman coughed up another mouthful of blood with difficulty. "After she learned my identity, she possessed me and suppressed my soul. But what she didn't know was that I survived..."
Upon hearing this, Lu Qing Wan immediately pushed the woman towards Si Feng Wu. "Let her lie on your lap, face down, so that the blood she coughs up doesn't flow into her lungs and choke her."
As she spoke, she gently and carefully supported Meng Fu Su's body and said softly, "Do as I say, and I can save you. Whatever grudges you have, go and avenge them yourself."
With that, she sat down cross-legged and began forming complex hand seals.
Seeing this, Si Feng Wu immediately understood what she intended to do. He quickly waved to someone in the distance, and a black-clothed figure approached like a phantom. "Your Highness."
The voice belonged to a female guard. Si Feng Wu relayed Lu Qing Wan's words to the female guard, while he himself stood by Lu Qing Wan with his sword, guarding her.
That's right, Lu Qing Wan was going to use "Du Zhong Sheng" (度众生) to restore Meng Fu Su's soul. This meant that after her operation, both Meng Fu Su and Liu Han Yan would return to their own bodies. And Qi Shu Ying, who had forcibly possessed Liu Han Yan, would suffer a backlash and die.
Prince Cheng An and his wife were in an unknown state in the main hall. Although they knew their brothers would do their best to protect them, Lu Qing Wan was still uneasy. Therefore, she accelerated her actions as soon as she decided to perform "Du Zhong Sheng."
Reciting the familiar hand seals and incantations, Meng Fu Su was right before her eyes. The process was not complicated. Si Feng Wu had already begun giving orders for his men to rush to the main hall to rescue people. When he turned back, Lu Qing Wan was already standing up. Meng Fu Su had also passed away in the female guard's arms.
He blinked in surprise. "It's done already?"
"Otherwise?" Lu Qing Wan spread her hands. "I told you it was very simple, it's just that the side effects are huge."
Si Feng Wu clasped his fists towards her. "Then, shall we go to the main hall now?"
Lu Qing Wan, carrying her steel whip, walked away directly. She did not forget to instruct the female guard, "Bury this nameless corpse properly as well. Don't mix it with the other bodies." After all, she was their savior. Even though she was now just a nameless corpse, she deserved the respect due.
The female guard accepted the order, and Lu Qing Wan and Si Feng Wu left Qing Huang Palace.
The moment they stepped out, a group of black-clothed figures quickly followed. Lu Qing Wan immediately understood. She wondered why these guards hadn't reacted to such a large commotion inside. It seemed Si Feng Wu had kept these people outside, fearing she might reveal something she shouldn't. They would naturally intervene if she and Si Feng Wu were unable to handle the situation themselves.