Chapter 199: We Want You to Die
The vendors, yamen runners, and the fortune-teller were the first to notice the blind zitherist's abnormality, their eyes filled with shock and terror.
They were the five most mysterious and fearsome individuals of the Wenshui Tang clan, but the blind zitherist was that… person.
Although the blind zitherist had never acknowledged being their teacher or leader, and even rarely spoke on ordinary days, they all held the deepest reverence for him, no less than they did for Old Master Tang.
This was the first time they had seen the blind zitherist display such intense battle intent, such vivid vitality.
The young girl selling cosmetics was uneasy and wanted to step forward to ask a question, but the two old men selling malt candy stopped her.
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The experts of the State Church also sensed the aura emanating from the blind zitherist. Their expressions tightened, and they felt the same sentiment as Xiangqiu—this man was incredibly strong! Even among the titans of the State Church, only Mao Qiuyu could contend with this blind zitherist!
The King of Linghai and Anlin, who knew his identity, were also stunned into silence, yet at the same time, it felt only natural.
Before its decline, the Longevity Sect was the ancestral court of the southern branch of the State Church, standing alongside the Saintess Peak to rival the Li Palace. The Lishan Sword Sect, now renowned across the continent, was merely an affiliated sect of the Longevity Sect. As the last surviving Grand Elder of the Longevity Sect, this blind zitherist was naturally formidable—he had to be this formidable!
The King of Linghai and the others also understood why the blind zitherist had suddenly come alive, as if returning to the peak days of the Longevity Sect.
Because of that figure beneath the tree in the courtyard.
Because they felt the same way.
Looking at that figure, their breathing quickened, and their cultivation states naturally adjusted to an unprecedented peak.
Whether it was the blind zitherist or the State Church titans like the King of Linghai, today was the first time they had laid eyes on the Demon Lord.
On the very day they were preparing to kill him.
Chen Changsheng had arranged for them to return to White Emperor City early, with the sole purpose of killing the Demon Lord.
For the human race, this was the greatest, most glorious, and most beautiful mission.
For the continent, this was the most shocking, tense, and perilous moment.
If they could kill the Demon Lord, the scenes of today and their names would surely be recorded in history for countless millennia.
Even if the blind zitherist's heart was like withered wood—no, even if it was like cold ashes—it would reignite.
Even if the names of these State Church titans were already destined to be inscribed in the Daoist scriptures, they were still willing to give everything, even their lives.
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The young Demon Lord rose from beneath the tree and turned to look at the crowd outside the courtyard.
His face was strikingly handsome, faintly exuding an otherworldly aura.
The yellow sand in the courtyard suddenly swirled up, dancing around his body, tracing countless intricate patterns on his black imperial robe.
Seeing this scene, the King of Linghai's pupils contracted, and everyone felt a strong sense of alarm.
Before leading the Black-robed and the Demon Marshal to overthrow his father, the young Demon Lord had not been famous. Whether in talent, combat ability, or any other aspect, he had no reputation—not even comparable to Chen Changsheng, let alone Qiushan Jun or Xu Yourong.
The most widely circulated story about him across the continent was his lust for Xu Yourong.
It wasn't until he pushed that legendary existence into the abyss and then coldly besieged and killed his elder brother Hanqing, who had returned from the Heavenly Book Mausoleum, that the entire world realized they had been wrong.
Now, the whole continent knew that this Demon Lord possessed unimaginable combat talent and unfathomable strength. But just how strong was he?
Clearly, he had not yet stepped into that sacred domain.
Judging by the battle on the viewing platform, when Chen Changsheng activated the Nanxi Zhai sword formation, the Demon Lord seemed to be at a disadvantage.
But according to Chen Changsheng's subsequent analysis, even if he went all out, he might not be able to kill the opponent, and the Demon Lord clearly still had many trump cards unused.
Chen Changsheng even said that at the moment he resolved to kill the Demon Lord, he felt he might die at any time.
What kind of trump card did the Demon Lord possess that could evoke such a feeling?
"Dongyangzi," the Demon Lord said, looking at the blind zitherist with a smile. "Do you think you alone can kill me?"
The entire audience was stunned.
Because the Demon Lord's tone and demeanor were contemptuous.
And even more so because the Demon Lord directly spoke a name.
That was the blind zitherist's Daoist name from his days in the Longevity Sect.
This name had vanished from the continent for many years. Apart from a few State Church titans like the King of Linghai, no one present knew it—not even the vendors and yamen runners of the Wenshui Tang clan. Yet the Demon Lord had called it out in one breath!
The blind zitherist tilted his head slightly, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "Why not?"
"Nothing wrong with it, just unwise."
The Demon Lord clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked toward the courtyard gate.
"Back then, your sect leader wanted to cooperate with my father. You happened to learn of it, were greatly displeased, and tried to sabotage it. As a result, you were ambushed, severely injured, and later besieged by my divine race's experts on the snow plains. Your star aperture was destroyed. Though Old Master Tang and your sect's friends protected you, barely saving your life and even restoring your cultivation, you should know yourself: no matter how many years you spend raising your realm, you will never reach the sacred."
The blind zitherist listened quietly, as if the Demon Lord were speaking of someone else.
The Demon Lord looked at him calmly and said, "Doesn't this make you fear the power of my divine race?"
Hearing this old secret, the crowd was even more shocked, instinctively turning to look at the blind zitherist.
The blind zitherist's expression was indifferent, as if these words could not move him at all, but his two streaks of white eyebrows trembled slightly.
Anyone could feel the pain hidden beneath his indifferent exterior.
For a cultivator, no matter how diligently they train and strive, to forever be denied the sacred—this was, of course, the greatest despair.
Not to mention that he had been exceptionally talented in his youth, a rare genius across the entire continent. If not for this betrayal and the demon race's ruthless blow, the sacred domain, so distant for other cultivators, had been within his reach.
This was the greatest pain.
The blind zitherist said, "Pain can make people fear, and despair can drain the joy from life, but sometimes it can also turn into the power of anger."
The Demon Lord looked at him and said, "But that still cannot change your pitiful life."
A crane's cry came from the sky.
The lingering snow on the eaves fell in a rustle. Amid the cold wind, the white crane landed on the ground.
Chen Changsheng looked into the courtyard and said, "As long as we kill you today, all the pain will be repaid."
Tang Thirty-Six said, "No matter how you look at it, this is a good deal."
The blind zitherist was silent for a moment, then said, "Yes."
When he said these two words, his expression was very calm.
This time, he was truly calm, because those two streaks of white eyebrows did not tremble at all.
Calmness did not mean that all killing intent had vanished with the wind.
On the contrary, it meant that the killing intent had already been embedded in the principles of heaven and earth, impossible to withdraw.
The Demon Lord was alone in White Emperor City.
Chen Changsheng had brought four State Church titans, plus the five most fearsome individuals of the Wenshui Tang clan.
From any angle, it was worth a try.
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(Everyone, happy holidays! Have fun these days—don't think about anything else. Just enjoy yourselves to the fullest. Tomorrow is the wedding day of our old book friend Ju Bei Wang Ming Yue. Let us, with the good wish of seeing wedding photos soon, bless them with a long and happy marriage!)