# Chapter 229: The Siblings of the Zi Clan
Before Zi Qian could formulate a countermeasure, Zuo Lengxuan let out a loud laugh, charged forward, and pointed a finger straight at Zi Qian's brow.
As the finger wind arrived, Zi Qian was greatly alarmed. She felt a biting cold wind that numbed her entire body. A dazzling light flashed before her eyes, forcing them shut.
The gap in their cultivation levels was simply too vast. Without any suspense, Zuo Lengxuan's single strike sealed Zi Qian's Qi Sea.
"Boom!"
Zi Qian cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.
Her body curled up as she pulled out the short sword and pointed it at Zuo Lengxuan, who stood ten paces away.
Zuo Lengxuan sneered disdainfully, walked over, and said, "Even when you could circulate your true qi, I wouldn't have taken you seriously, let alone now when you can't. So what if you're a Xuan List martial artist? Before me, you're utterly vulnerable. I advise you not to choose to smash an egg against a rock."
Zuo Lengxuan's gaze roamed over Zi Qian without restraint. He had to admit that at this moment, Zi Qian indeed looked extremely similar to Chen Xi'er—not only breathtakingly beautiful but also possessing the same noble and cold temperament.
At one time, Zuo Lengxuan had fantasized about this scene more than once, but he had never dared to show disrespect to Chen Xi'er, so he had suppressed his evil thoughts deep within his heart.
But this woman before him was different. She didn't have Chen Xi'er's lofty status, and now, in this secluded place, the evil thoughts Zuo Lengxuan had suppressed kept swelling until they finally erupted.
Zi Qian noticed the wrongness in Zuo Lengxuan's eyes. A look of determination appeared on her face as she unhesitatingly swung the sword toward her own neck, intending to end her life.
Just then, a finger wind flew out from the darkness, striking the short sword with precision and knocking it from Zi Qian's hand.
"Who's there?"
Startled, Zuo Lengxuan looked toward the direction from which the finger wind had come.
Zhang Ruochen emerged from the darkness, a metal mask covering his face. He didn't even glance at Zuo Lengxuan but fixed his gaze on Zi Qian. "Good thing I followed. Are you injured?"
Zi Qian shook her head.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, Zi Qian finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if she had found support and no longer needed to worry about Zuo Lengxuan.
Zuo Lengxuan, however, grew tense. Staring at the suddenly appearing mysterious youth, he said, "Are you... Chen Ruo?"
"Something like that," Zhang Ruochen replied.
Zuo Lengxuan knew that Chen Ruo's cultivation was formidable and didn't dare provoke him. He cautiously said, "Junior Brother Chen, I suspect she's not really Junior Sister Xi'er. Don't let her deceive you!"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Of course I know she's not Chen Xi'er."
Zuo Lengxuan's eyes narrowed. "Then who is she?"
"An assassin from the Underworld Gate—Zi Qian." Zhang Ruochen said calmly. "Don't you know that the Underworld Gate's Silkworm Butterfly Art can alter a person's appearance and physique?"
Zuo Lengxuan's face turned pale. His hands involuntarily clenched as he circulated his true qi throughout his body. "Since you know she's an assassin from the Underworld Gate, why are you helping her? Could it be... that you're also an evil cultist from the Underworld Gate?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "My relationship with her is something someone like you will never understand."
"Haha! Isn't it just that you think she's beautiful and want to sleep with her? Why make it sound so noble?" Zuo Lengxuan snorted coldly.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Think whatever you like."
Knowing he was no match for Chen Ruo, Zuo Lengxuan took a couple of steps back. "Since she's the woman Junior Brother Chen wants, I naturally won't interfere. Consider tonight's events as if I never saw anything. Farewell!"
"Since I've told you everything, do you think I'll let you leave?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Zuo Lengxuan's gaze turned cold. "Chen Ruo, are you trying to silence me? You should know that with your cultivation, you might be slightly stronger than me, but killing me is far from within your reach. We have no grievances. There's no need to fight to the death, is there?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Who says we have no grievances? Have you forgotten that in the Martial Market Academy, you nearly crippled my martial arts cultivation? Isn't that a deep-seated hatred?"
Zuo Lengxuan frowned, searching his memory. Suddenly, as if recalling something, his expression changed. "I understand! You are—"
"Shua!"
Zhang Ruochen didn't give him a chance to speak. He moved his feet, turning into a streak of light that charged forward and passed straight through Zuo Lengxuan's body.
Zuo Lengxuan's right hand was still pointing forward, but his body had turned to stone, motionless. Only a bloody hole appeared at the center of his brow, with blood continuously gushing out.
"Boom!"
Zuo Lengxuan's corpse fell heavily to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen stood with his back to Zi Qian, his sharp gaze fixed on the darkness of the night. "Brother Zi, since you're already here, why not show yourself?"
A moment later, a cold voice sounded from the darkness.
"As expected of a secret disciple—you can actually detect my aura." Zi Yinyang emerged from the darkness, standing straight, wearing a dark coat and carrying a black war sword.
Before killing Zuo Lengxuan, Zhang Ruochen had already sensed Zi Yinyang's presence. That was why he hadn't let Zuo Lengxuan speak his name.
If Zi Yinyang had learned that Chen Ruo was Zhang Ruochen, the two of them would likely have been locked in battle by now.
Seeing Zi Yinyang, Zi Qian's expression became unnatural, and she deliberately avoided him.
Since Zi Yinyang had appeared, Zi Qian would naturally be in no more danger.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Zi Yinyang and walked straight into the darkness.
Zi Yinyang stared at the retreating figure of "Chen Ruo," killing intent in his eyes, but in the end, he didn't make a move. He wasn't absolutely certain he could kill "Chen Ruo," so he could only let him leave.
Only after "Chen Ruo's" figure had completely disappeared did Zi Yinyang look toward Zi Qian and say coldly, "You see your elder brother and don't even come out to pay your respects? Do you believe I can take you back to the Enforcement Hall right now and hand you over to the Enforcement Elder for punishment?"
Zi Qian reverted to her original appearance, staring coldly at Zi Yinyang. "I know the way to the Enforcement Hall. I don't need you to escort me. I'll go now."
"Stop right there," Zi Yinyang said in a deep voice.
Zi Qian halted. "Zi Yinyang, do you have any further instructions?"
"Is this how you speak to your elder brother?" Zi Yinyang stared at Zi Qian's back. Ultimately, he couldn't bear it and softened his tone. "Do you think I don't know? You exposed your identity to save Zhang Ruochen. And because of you, my mission to kill Zhang Ruochen ended in failure."
"So what?" Zi Qian said.
Zi Yinyang said, "Father sent you to the Martial Market Academy for an important mission, yet you exposed yourself for a man. If Father finds out about this, he will surely kill you."
Zi Qian laughed. "In Father's eyes, he has never treated me as his own daughter. He never gave me any cultivation resources since I was young. I had to rely on my own efforts to reach my current martial arts cultivation. Zi Yinyang, let me tell you—if I had as many cultivation resources as you, my cultivation would definitely be stronger than yours now."
"Are you trying to betray the Underworld Gate?" Zi Yinyang asked.
Zi Qian was silent for a moment. "My affairs are none of your concern. When I return to the Underworld Gate, I'll report to the Enforcement Hall myself."
Zi Yinyang said, "You don't need to go to the Enforcement Hall. I've already taken full responsibility for your actions. Father has given you a new mission. If you can complete it, you'll not only make up for your mistakes but also have the opportunity to train at the 'Black Market First Class Hall.'"
"Black Market First Class Hall!" Zi Qian was slightly startled.
Zi Yinyang nodded. "Father has seen all your efforts at the Martial Market Academy. He hopes you can break into the top ten of the Xuan List at the Mysterious Extreme Realm. You should understand—Father does care about you."
Zi Qian sneered. "Father has so many daughters. If I hadn't shown outstanding talent at the Martial Market Academy, would he have noticed me? I won't return to the Underworld Gate until I reach the Heavenly Extreme Realm. You can tell me the new mission now."
Zi Yinyang glanced at Zi Qian, took a jade bottle from his bosom, and handed it to her. "This is a drop of sacred liquid bestowed by Father. It can help improve your physique."
Zi Qian accepted the drop of sacred liquid without any courtesy.
Zi Yinyang's lips moved as he whispered the new mission to Zi Qian. Then he turned and left, vanishing like a ghost.
...
The next day, the martial artists of the Martial Market Academy finally discovered Chen Xi'er, who had been imprisoned in the dungeon.
After being released, Chen Xi'er immediately dispatched all the martial artists from Lingkong Manor, intending to capture Zi Qian again.
Unfortunately, those martial artists couldn't find Zi Qian at all—they only found Zuo Lengxuan's corpse.
At noon, Zhang Ruochen and Duanmu Xingling left Lingkong Manor without anyone noticing, and no one suspected them.
"The dungeon was so heavily guarded—how did you manage to rescue Zi Qian? And how did you lock Chen Xi'er in there?" Duanmu Xingling asked curiously.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "I can't say."
"If you don't tell me, I'll go tell Chen Xi'er to have you arrested. She likes you so much—after she arrests you, she might even make you her paramour, requiring you to serve her every night... Wouldn't that be too good for you? After all, Chen Xi'er is one of the Ten Great Beauties of Demon Ridge. Being her paramour is something many men dream of." Duanmu Xingling blinked her bright eyes repeatedly.
Zhang Ruochen knew Duanmu Xingling was just joking, so he didn't take it seriously. "Senior Sister Duanmu, let's part ways here. I need to return to the royal palace."
Duanmu Xingling pouted, glancing sideways at Zhang Ruochen. "You call me senior sister, but you've never invited me to the royal palace as a guest. Zhang Ruochen, I hate you now!"
With that, Duanmu Xingling lifted her chin and walked away.
Watching the playful and adorable Duanmu Xingling, Zhang Ruochen smiled again. Then he thought of the three Divine Resting Grasses she had given him.
"There are still twenty-five days until the sacrificial ceremony. I must successfully cultivate the 'False Divine Body' before then."
The situation in the royal capital was ever-changing. Only by continuously improving his strength could he have the ability to protect himself.
Zhang Ruochen immediately returned to the royal palace and entered the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal once more to begin his closed-door cultivation.