Chapter 2428: The Beginning of the Demon
From the Corpse Clan's Longevity Hall, Cang Baizi.
From the Demon Heaven Tribe, Huanxu Blood Emperor.
From the Rakshasa Clan's Fei'er Family, Fei'er Tianding.
From the Underworld Clan's Nine Edict Heavenly Palace, Yunheng Iron Blood King.
Any one of these four was a figure that even the Great Saints of the Heavenly Court's various realms would dread. In the Hell Realm, they were infamous for their ferocious reputations. Yet now, they were simultaneously kowtowing to a woman.
"Miss Bai?"
Zhang Ruochen's eyes were filled with shock and doubt. He found it incredibly hard to believe that a woman from the Divine Maiden Palace could possess such astonishing influence. After all, these four experts all came from major powers with divine-level backing; they shouldn't have been so easily controlled.
If they had willingly submitted to her, wouldn't that be even more astonishing?
Even the master of the Divine Maiden Tower didn't have such ability.
Who exactly was she?
The black-veiled cultivator called "Miss Bai" sat in the main hall. Her snow-white, flawless fingers held a vermilion brush as she leaned over a desk, copying scriptures.
A yellowed scripture book lay beside the desk.
A small golden incense burner emitted wisps of blue smoke.
She was clearly copying from the scripture book, occasionally glancing at it. Yet, the book had not a single word on it—strange indeed.
Even stranger was that the characters she wrote on the white paper moved like ink dragons and serpents; as soon as she finished writing the next character, the previous one had already vanished.
Cang Baizi and the other three stood outside the hall, maintaining their bowed postures, not daring to move an inch.
They knew that tonight's gambling game targeting Seven-Hand Old Man had failed, and Miss Bai was bound to be furious.
No one spoke. The atmosphere was murderous and heavy.
Zhang Ruochen knew that everyone present was a powerful expert, and his gaze could easily be sensed by them. So, he only glanced over at the very beginning, then pressed his back against the tree trunk, closed his eyes, and listened.
Silence stretched on.
In the night, only the sound of wind rustling the leaves could be heard.
After copying ten scriptures in a row, the black-veiled cultivator finally put down her brush and closed the yellowed scripture book, tucking it into her sleeve. As if she had finally remembered the four people outside the hall, she said, "Tonight's game wasn't a complete failure. You don't need to be so afraid. All of you, withdraw."
Her voice was extremely pleasant to hear.
Just hearing it, one could conjure in their mind the most beautiful image of a woman—like a gentle, talented beauty.
The four of them let out a long sigh of relief, as if a heavy burden had been lifted.
Cang Baizi clasped his hands in a fist salute, bending so low that his waist nearly touched the ground. In a cold, deep voice, he said, "If it weren't for that Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor, the undefeated gambling god who never loses a bet, he would have surely lost to you, miss. But now, all those divine stones were won by a nameless woman who appeared out of nowhere, causing you and the Divine Maiden Tower to suffer heavy losses. I will go and kill him right now, extract his soul, and offer it to you, miss."
The Goddess Twelve Pavilions had one hundred and eighty towers.
Even the most profitable Divine Maiden Tower, after a thousand years of operation, might not be able to net a pure profit of five hundred thousand divine stones.
Tonight's loss was indeed astonishing. Any other cultivator would not have been able to take it lightly.
Yet the black-veiled cultivator's voice remained calm, her tone elegant and gentle. "You are wrong about three things."
Cang Baizi was startled and asked, "Which three?"
The black-veiled cultivator said, "First, 'Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor' is not that person's real name."
"Second, the nameless woman is not nameless at all; on the contrary, she is quite famous."
"Third, I already said tonight's game was not a complete defeat. So whether the Divine Maiden Tower has suffered heavy losses depends on how things develop from here. For now, at least half of the plan has succeeded."
Zhang Ruochen silently exclaimed in admiration. This Miss Bai had dared to scheme against Seven-Hand Old Man and had almost succeeded. She was indeed an extraordinary figure.
"Could she have seen through my true form and Yan Zhexian's?"
"What does she mean by 'at least half of the plan has succeeded'?"
Cang Baizi asked, "What exactly are the identities of the Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor and the nameless woman?"
"If it's a question you shouldn't ask, then don't ask," the black-veiled cultivator said.
Cang Baizi said, "Are we just going to let them go like this?"
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed an extremely yin-cold, fierce aura sweeping through the entire courtyard. Even though he was hiding far away, he could feel his skin prickling and his blood freezing.
His sacred soul was almost being pulled out of his body. Fortunately, his Qi Sea was stable and he had the Flame God Armor protecting him, so he managed to block that unknown force.
Cang Baizi's miserable screams rang out, making the night feel utterly terrifying.
Zhang Ruochen didn't know what had happened, and he didn't dare to look with his eyes. He could only hear Cang Baizi rolling on the ground, screaming and begging, as if in extreme agony.
"No more... no more... I won't dare... ask again... things I shouldn't know... I must never know... please... spare... spare me... ah!"
For a top-tier Great Saint to beg and wail like this, one could imagine how torturous the pain was.
"This Miss Bai is far too unpredictable in her moods. Cang Baizi only asked one extra question and suffered such torment." Zhang Ruochen was secretly shocked and couldn't help but reflect on whether he had been too soft-hearted with his subordinates.
Cang Baizi's wailing gradually faded. He struggled to get up from the ground. His green Daoist robe had been torn apart by his own hands, and his body was covered in blood. He knelt and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you for your mercy, miss. This subordinate will never dare to ask again."
The other three powerful experts trembled with fear, terrified to the core.
The black-veiled cultivator's voice was still pleasant to the ear. "I heard that you, Ling, and Huo Xing have invited Zhang Ruochen to the Phoenix Cry Pavilion. Why haven't you gone yet?"
"I'll go now. I'll go right now."
Cang Baizi stood up, took three steps back, and quickly walked out of the courtyard.
Fei'er Tianding and Yunheng Iron Blood King immediately followed, fleeing as if escaping.
Only Huanxu Blood Emperor remained standing outside the hall.
The black-veiled cultivator asked, "Why haven't you left?"
Huanxu Blood Emperor quickly bowed and said, "In recent days, I have been plagued by nightmares. Not only can I not enter meditation to cultivate, but it has also affected my ability to carry out your orders. Please, miss, grant me the antidote."
"Nightmares are the most fearful, most terrifying, and most fragile side of your heart. Why can't you face them head-on? Overcoming nightmares is overcoming yourself," the black-veiled cultivator said.
Huanxu Blood Emperor clenched his teeth, his face pale, and said, "I... I am merely a mediocre person."
"Very well. Admitting that you are a mediocre person shows that you are at least clear-headed. I will grant you a beautiful dream to relieve you of ten years of nightmare torment. Ten years later, if you still obey, the beautiful dream can continue indefinitely."
Her voice was extremely pleasant, capable of making one's imagination run wild and sink into it, unable to extricate themselves.
Zhang Ruochen, however, was both shocked and curious.
Who exactly was this Miss Bai? Was she using dreams to control these top-tier Great Saints?
Zhang Ruochen was also afraid of nightmares.
Because he also had fears, terrors, and fragile things in his heart.
Nightmares undoubtedly amplified all of this, to the point where even Great Saints were trapped in fear and terror all day long, restless and uneasy.
At this moment, a bizarre scene unfolded in the courtyard.
Huanxu Blood Emperor seemed to be in a trance between dream and reality, letting out cheerful laughter. His eyes were sometimes infatuated, as if he had obtained a treasure he had always dreamed of; sometimes greedy, as if he were holding the most beautiful woman in the world in his arms; sometimes looking down on all living beings, as if he were a divine emperor, with all the gods kneeling at his feet.
A beautiful dream, a lifetime.
Who wouldn't want to be the protagonist of a beautiful dream, having everything go smoothly and obtaining everything they desired? This feeling was too wonderful, so wonderful that once a Great Saint tasted it, they would become addicted and never be able to quit.
"Beautiful dreams make people fall; nightmares make people fear."
Zhang Ruochen stood behind the tree, shaking his head with a faint smile. He was about to leave when he suddenly heard the black-veiled woman call out, "Prince, have you found out the identity of the Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor?"
A three-foot-tall stone turtle walked out from a corner.
Prince Turtle was entirely green, like a jadeite body, walking on two legs. His head was only the size of a fist, and his two eyes sparkled. He held a scroll in his hands, looking simple and honest (han tou han nao) as he walked up to the black-veiled cultivator and stammered, "Fou... fou... found... it!"
"Speak."
"Acc... acc... according... to... to..."
The black-veiled cultivator shook her head and said, "Never mind. General, you read it."
The stone pillar supporting the pavilion suddenly moved. Two long stone arms extended from the pillar, taking the scroll from Prince Turtle's hands.
Prince Turtle was a bit angry and snorted at the stone pillar, "It's... it's... all... all... me... me... me..."
"I know, it's all your credit."
The Stone Pillar General read in a grating, stone-grinding voice, "According to the roster of cultivators who came to the Divine Maiden Tower tonight, it can be determined that the Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor must have changed his form. There are thirteen cultivators who could be him."
"What about those proficient in the Way of Space?" the black-veiled cultivator asked.
The Stone Pillar General said, "Only one..."
"No need to say more. I know who it is!" the black-veiled cultivator said.
The Stone Pillar General said, "We also found another piece of related information here. A creature calling itself the Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor recently appeared on Ice King Star, set fire to the slave market run by the Blood Absolute Family, left its name, and then escaped."
The black-veiled cultivator's tone was surprised. "Send a message to the Divine Maiden Tower on Ice King Star. Order them to capture that Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor. I want it alive."
The Stone Pillar General closed the scroll and said in a low voice, "Should we deal with the Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor in this Divine Maiden Tower?"
"We have more important things to do. Let him be for now. Don't stir up unnecessary trouble. Prince, keep a close watch on Seven-Hand Old Man. Don't let him escape. If he escapes, then tonight's game will truly be lost," the black-veiled cultivator said.
Zhang Ruochen breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that although Miss Bai was formidable, she hadn't seen through his transformation technique. If everyone could see through the Thirty-Six Transformations, he would never use it again.
At the same time, he was filled with doubt.
Miss Bai had set up a trap to harm Seven-Hand Old Man, clearly not just for the sake of a few hundred thousand divine stones, but for a much larger scheme. What exactly was she plotting? What secret did Seven-Hand Old Man hold?
And that Butcher Heaven Destroyer Emperor who appeared on Ice King Star—was it Xiao Hei?
Daring to set fire to the Blood Absolute Family's slave market and leave his name behind—that was truly bird-brained audacity.
Zhang Ruochen silently withdrew from the Peacock Palace and returned to the bustling Jade Mountain Palace, his mind unsettled for a long time.
The things he had just seen and heard contained too much information. He needed to calm down.
Just as he wanted to calm down, Jingjing appeared right in front of him.
Gu Shejing stood under a ghost fire nether lamp, beside a jade tree with silver flowers. She wore a layman's robe, her long hair tied up on top of her head with a wooden hairpin. She looked both male and female, androgynous.
She stared at Zhang Ruochen and said, "We meet again."
After leaving the Peacock Palace, Zhang Ruochen had changed his appearance again. To make himself look more distinct from humans and the Undying Blood Clan, he had specifically transformed into a half-fat cat, complete with a tail and cat ears.
Perhaps it was because he had just thought of Xiao Hei, and his appearance followed his thoughts.
Zhang Ruochen was still somewhat confident in his transformation technique. His eyes were vacant, and he waved his cat paw, speaking in a gruff voice, "You've mistaken this cat. We've never met. Move aside. This emperor has no time to waste on you."
"You sent Blood Butcher to gather information, but he won't be able to find out anything," she said.
Zhang Ruochen had just walked past Gu Shejing when he heard this. He knew he couldn't keep up the act any longer. The flaw wasn't in him but in Blood Butcher's end.
Zhang Ruochen stopped and said, "Where is Blood Butcher?"
Gu Shejing turned around. Her tightly clenched right hand opened, revealing a mung bean-sized figure in her snow-white palm—it was Blood Butcher, squeezed into a ball.
Blood Butcher had clearly struggled and resisted, but he couldn't escape her grasp.
Zhang Ruochen sighed. "Tsk. Truly formidable. A Great Saint, and you easily crushed him like that."
Blood Butcher carried a drop of Zhang Ruochen's blood, which could be used to track him down.
It was no wonder Gu Shejing had appeared before him.
Blood Butcher said in a tearful voice, "Senior Brother, save me. I didn't mean to reveal your secret to her. This female demon is too twisted. She's proficient in a high-level soul-capturing secret art. I couldn't withstand it."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Blood Butcher has two gods backing him. I think it's better if you let him go."
Gu Shejing casually tossed the "mung bean" away and said, "He has no value to me. I'm only interested in you. Don't you want to know what major event is happening at the Divine Maiden Tower tonight? I can tell you."
"Plop."
Blood Butcher returned to his true size and fell into the icy lake, splashing up a spray of water.
Zhang Ruochen pondered for a moment and then said, "I'd love to hear you continue, but unfortunately, I have another game to attend to. I'm in a hurry."
"Ling's game?" Gu Shejing said.
"It seems he told you everything."
Zhang Ruochen really wanted to slap Blood Butcher, who had just climbed out of the water, back down.
Gu Shejing said, "Ling, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing are not good people. Are you not afraid of dying if you go to that appointment alone?"
"This is the Divine Maiden Tower!" Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing said, "Exactly. Because this is the Divine Maiden Tower. Do you really think this is just a place of pleasure? Don't forget, the Divine Maiden Tower is one of the Ten Dark Powers. Ling, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing might not dare to kill you with their own hands, but the dark world is full of desperadoes."
Hearing Gu Shejing's words, Zhang Ruochen was jolted awake, realizing that he had still been underestimating and being careless.
"Why are you telling me this?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing said, "Go to your appointment. When you come back, we can talk slowly."
"Give me back that drop of blood," Zhang Ruochen said.
Gu Shejing shook her head. "Your transformation technique is superb. I need to ensure I can find you anytime, anywhere."
Blood Butcher, dripping wet, walked over to Zhang Ruochen. He was extremely wary of Gu Shejing and whispered, "Forget it, Senior Brother. This female demon's cultivation is heaven-defying. We can't afford to provoke her. When it's time to admit defeat, we have to admit defeat."
"So, she didn't use any soul-capturing secret art on you at all. You just admitted defeat?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Blood Butcher was stunned for a moment, then slapped his chest and said seriously, "How is that possible? I might admit defeat for my own matters, but when it comes to Senior Brother's matters, even if a knife is at my throat, I will never back down. Senior Brother, believe me. Her soul-capturing secret art is really powerful. I couldn't withstand it. Really, I couldn't."
Zhang Ruochen ignored him and turned to leave. After taking just one step, he stopped and said, "You can find me with that drop of blood, and I can find you with it anytime, anywhere."
On the surface, Gu Shejing was Luo Sha's close friend, but she coveted the "Heavenly Demon Stone Inscription" on Zhang Ruochen. In Zhang Ruochen's eyes, she was an enemy, not a friend.
This demoness was unfathomable to Zhang Ruochen.
Not just her cultivation, but her very person. Every time she appeared, her aura was different. At the engagement ceremony, Gu Shejing was stunningly beautiful, eccentric in personality, and called Luo Sha "Little Luo Sha," like an innocent and carefree young girl.
But in their meeting just now, she was like a rigid and cold nun, capable of killing any man's desire for a woman.
With the sudden appearance of a Miss Bai and another Jingjing, and having to deal with the deadly trap set by Ling, Cang Baizi, and Huo Xing, Zhang Ruochen felt as if thunder was rumbling in the silence, with crisis and death constantly surrounding him.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already crossed the water's winding bridge and arrived outside the Phoenix Cry Pavilion. His form and appearance had changed back to his original.
"Master Ruochen, Lord Ling has been waiting for you inside for quite some time."
A human female saint, who looked to be in her twenties, dressed in a thin layer of white gauze, stood outside the courtyard to welcome him.
A gentle breeze blew, and the female saint's graceful figure was faintly visible. Her pretty face was flushed with shyness, exuding extreme charm.
Her eyes were full of admiration, and she said in a low voice, "This humble woman is Lian Rou. I watched the projection of the Ten Thousand Realms Divine Eye during the Heaven Hunting Battle. Seeing Master Ruochen's true form tonight is like meeting a banished immortal from the mortal world. Truly, you are the war god of our human race."
"Lead me in," Zhang Ruochen said expressionlessly.
Ling had deliberately arranged for a human woman to serve him—this was a huge provocation.