# Chapter 986: Bright Hall Sacred General
Zhang Ruochen retracted the strands of sacred qi threads back into his fingers, furrowing his brows as he stared at the ice-cold Stone Beauty, feeling quite perplexed.
"Inside her body, there is not a trace of sacred qi left. Even her qi sea and meridians have disappeared, making her no different from an ordinary person. Could it be that she is not Ling Feiyu at all, but merely someone who looks very similar?"
A cultivator, especially one at the Saint realm, even if their meridians were severed and their qi sea shattered, would still leave behind some traces. It was impossible for everything to vanish completely.
Unless she had never possessed a qi sea or meridians in the first place.
Zhang Ruochen looked at Stone Beauty again and immediately shook his head, dismissing his previous thought.
Although Stone Beauty was extremely weak and he could not detect her physical strength, every inch of her skin was crystalline and translucent, as smooth and radiant as immortal jade, exuding a fresh fragrance. This was clearly the result of long-term nourishment by sacred qi, making it impossible for her to be an ordinary mortal body.
A Saint's body condensed the essence of heaven and earth and could resonate with the rules of the sacred path, much like a sacred medicine that had grown for ten thousand years. Even a single strand of a Saint's hair possessed extraordinary value.
Zhang Ruochen infused sacred qi into his eyes, activating the Divine Mark Eye, and stared at Stone Beauty's wrist and brow, once again examining her injuries.
This time, Zhang Ruochen finally made a new discovery.
Stone Beauty did indeed have a qi sea and meridians inside her body, but they had atrophied severely, almost to the point of disappearing entirely.
If Zhang Ruochen had not possessed the Divine Mark Eye, he would never have noticed this.
"She was already severely injured, and now her condition is worsening. If this continues, centuries of cultivation might be completely wasted."
Finding Ling Feiyu filled Zhang Ruochen with great joy, but also with considerable worry.
Just now, Zhang Ruochen had used his spiritual power to examine Ling Feiyu's sacred soul. Her sacred soul was not damaged.
If that was the case, how had she ended up like this?
"For now, I'll set this aside."
Zhang Ruochen extended both hands, supporting Ling Feiyu as he helped her up, preparing to take her away and help heal her injuries. Even so, Ling Feiyu did not resist, remaining like a wooden puppet.
Just then, Yan Jinyao ascended the lakeside platform and blocked Zhang Ruochen's path, saying in surprise, "Young Master Gu, what are you doing?"
"I'm taking her away," Zhang Ruochen said.
Yan Jinyao shook his head. "Stone Beauty was brought back by an elder of the sect and is the signboard of Pearl Light Pavilion. You cannot take her away."
Zhang Ruochen snorted coldly, finding it somewhat ridiculous. One of the nine great palace masters of the Demon Sect was actually being used by a bunch of minor Demon Sect underlings to attract customers.
Was there anything more absurd than this?
Zhang Ruochen was about to reveal Stone Beauty's true identity, but then he realized something was off.
According to Yan Jinyao, Stone Beauty had been brought back by an elder of the Demon Sect and sent to Pearl Light Pavilion.
It was understandable that ordinary cultivators might not notice anything unusual about her.
But even Zhang Ruochen could sense something was wrong. How could a Demon Sect elder have thought Stone Beauty was just an ordinary woman?
Something was wrong.
Was someone within the Demon Sect trying to destroy Ling Feiyu completely?
Or had that Demon Sect elder truly failed to detect the meridians and qi sea inside Stone Beauty's body?
"If someone within the Demon Sect really wanted to deal with her, wouldn't it be simpler to just kill her?"
Zhang Ruochen could not figure out the reason, but he was certain that this matter was likely not as simple as it appeared on the surface.
Revealing Ling Feiyu's identity might not be a good thing.
In the end, Zhang Ruochen did not disclose Stone Beauty's true identity. He glared at Yan Jinyao and said, "This young master has taken a liking to her and wants to take her away right now. Do you dare to stop me?"
Yan Jinyao naturally did not dare to offend the Divine Son of the Blood God Sect. With a bitter expression, he said, "Young Master Gu, please calm down. It is her good fortune that you fancy her. However, I truly cannot make this decision. I must report to the elder."
Zhang Ruochen asked casually, "Is that elder also at Pearl Light Pavilion?"
"Naturally, yes," Yan Jinyao said.
Just as Yan Jinyao was about to withdraw, a deep voice rang out from below the platform. "Manager Yan, there is no need to report to Elder Qi. A mere Fourth-Rank Half-Saint wants to take Stone Beauty away from Pearl Light Pavilion? He overestimates himself far too much."
The crowd parted, and a thin, dark man clad in iron armor and war boots walked steadily toward the platform. His face was adorned with neatly trimmed whiskers, and a red six-eared monkey perched on his shoulder. His aura was extremely powerful.
As he arrived, the entire sky seemed to darken.
"This is one of the one hundred and eight sacred generals of Bright Hall, Huo Yin."
"Huo Yin has come to Pearl Light Pavilion. Kong Hongbi must have arrived as well. It is said that Kong Hongbi has long had his eye on Stone Beauty and has been negotiating with the pavilion master and the Demon Sect elder for a long time, planning to buy her at a high price."
"The young master of Bright Hall and the young master of the Eastern Domain Black Market First Class Hall are both competing for Stone Beauty. This is going to be a good show."
"This is the Central Domain, after all, Bright Hall's territory. How can a mere young master of the Eastern Domain Black Market First Class Hall contend with Kong Hongbi?"
"There is no need for Kong Hongbi to act personally. Huo Yin's appearance alone is enough to make them back off."
...
With Huo Yin's appearance, the onlookers who had been gathered by the lake immediately retreated some distance, worried that a Half-Saint-level battle might break out.
Huo Yin glanced at Murong Yue and slightly cupped his hands. "Bright Hall, Huo Yin, greets Young Master Murong. Our young master has long had his eye on Stone Beauty and has already agreed on a price with Pearl Light Pavilion. I hope you will withdraw, so as not to affect the harmony between us."
Huo Yin's tone was quite calm, but there was a hint of coercion in his words.
In Huo Yin's view, Murong Yue was the master, and Zhang Ruochen was merely one of her attendants.
He believed that Murong Yue would never offend the young master of Bright Hall for the sake of an attendant.
Murong Yue naturally did not want to offend a powerful enemy over a woman. She turned to look at Zhang Ruochen, a questioning expression on her face.
Zhang Ruochen held Ling Feiyu's wrist with one hand and glanced at Huo Yin. "Go back and tell Kong Hongbi that I am determined to take Stone Beauty away. Anyone who dares to compete with me will surely die. This is my final warning to you. Get out of my way immediately."
Zhang Ruochen's mood was extremely angry. He felt wronged on Ling Feiyu's behalf, as if his master and friend had been insulted.
At this moment, anyone who blocked him would be killed.
The onlookers were all stunned, thinking they had misheard.
"That kid has quite the nerve. For a woman, he dares to openly challenge Kong Hongbi and even rebuke Sacred General Huo Yin."
"Is he blinded by lust?"
"Few people can maintain their rationality when they see a woman like Stone Beauty."
...
...
In the distance, Bu Qianfan held a stack of documents in his hands. He quickly scanned Gu Linfeng's records, then closed them again, his gaze once more fixed on the lakeside platform.
There was a hint of coldness in his eyes.
The scar-faced soldier said sternly, "Gu Linfeng is by no means a good person. He has a low character, is arrogant and conceited, and is greedy for beauty. During his time in the Blood God Sect, the number of women he ruined is too many for the Ministry of War to compile a complete record."
"He must have used sweet talk to deceive Miss Murong. Your Highness, look, the moment he sees a beautiful woman, his true colors are revealed. Hanging him would be an act of justice."
Bu Qianfan, however, shook his head. "No, no."
"Your Highness, what is wrong?" another soldier asked.
Bu Qianfan's gaze was fixed on Murong Yue. "Given her intelligence, how could she not have investigated Gu Linfeng's deeds? Besides, could sweet talk alone deceive her? If that were the case, how could she have become the young master of the Black Market First Class Hall?"
"Your Highness, what do you mean?"
Both soldiers looked puzzled, feeling quite confused.
"Murong Yue has chosen to associate with Gu Linfeng. This person is definitely not simple."
Bu Qianfan had great confidence in Murong Yue and continued, "Let's watch a little longer. I want to know what kind of person Gu Linfeng really is. If he truly is as the records describe, I will deal with him personally."
On the lakeside platform, Huo Yin was slightly taken aback, clearly not expecting anyone to dare speak to him like that.
"What did you just say? I didn't hear you clearly. Could you say it again?"
Huo Yin's gaze darkened. Surging sacred qi flowed through his right arm, forming a small vortex of energy that gathered in his palm.
Anyone could see that Sacred General Huo Yin was angered, and many people wore expressions of schadenfreude. (To be continued.)