Luo Shaojun rushed into Luo Lijun's room, shouting at the top of his lungs, "Eldest Sister, Seventh Brother needs to open the eye!"
Startled awake from her dream, Luo Lijun yawned, rubbing her eyes. "Open what eye?"
"Open the eye above!"
Luo Lijun gasped in horror. "Why on earth should I let him open it?"
Luo Shaojun panicked. "Not *your* eye! The eye of Boundless City! Seventh Brother has an urgent matter!"
Out in the boundless ocean, the colossal back of a gigantic worm breached the surface.
Boundless City had surfaced!
Luo Lijun stood in Clarity Hall, communicating with Boundless City in hopes that he would open a Heavenly Eye.
After a long exchange, Boundless City still had not opened the eye. Luo Shaojun shouted anxiously, "Sister, looking like that, how could Boundless City possibly listen to you?"
Yesterday, Luo Lijun had practiced shapeshifting and fallen asleep in human form. The practice had gone quite well, but when she was jolted awake and terrified by Luo Shaojun, thinking Li Qi wanted to open her eye, she found herself unable to transform back into a river snail.
Boundless City recognized Luo Lijun in human form, but he did not find her nearly as endearing like this, so he refused to open the Heavenly Eye.
Luo Shaojun pleaded with Boundless City for quite a while. "Good Ah Cheng, please just open an eye! Whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"
Boundless City threw a childish tantrum, refusing no matter who spoke to him.
Luo Yanjun entered Clarity Hall with a worm following behind her.
Luo Lijun thought a bondsman had wandered into Clarity Hall and was about to lose her temper when she realized the worm following Luo Yanjun was no ordinary creature.
This was Xi. He had once been a sacrificial bondsman ordered by Lv Mosheng to harm Li Qi, but had later joined Li Qi in storming Lv Mosheng's manor. Under Li Qi's coercion, Lv Mosheng had personally bestowed upon Xi the status of a gentleman.
Gentleman Xi could not speak because his throat was damaged. Pressing his body against a pillar, he began communicating with Boundless City through the writhing of his flesh.
Everyone pinned their hopes on Gentleman Xi.
After communicating for a moment, Gentleman Xi also grew anxious, coiling his body around the pillar and crawling up and down.
It seemed he was reasoning with Boundless City, and the two appeared to have broken into a heated argument.
A few minutes later, Gentleman Xi slid down from the pillar and nodded toward Luo Lijun.
Boundless City had agreed!
Weeping tears of joy, Luo Shaojun dashed back to the rear courtyard. "Seventh Brother, it's done!"
Above the sea, the worm's back split open to reveal an enormous eye.
The eyeball could swivel and move, but its pupil was peculiar—it was hollow.
Looking down through the pupil, it aligned directly above Yucui Pavilion.
From the second floor, Jiang Ling'er shouted, "Open!"
The roof of Yucui Pavilion lifted open. Standing on the rooftop, Jiang Ling'er hurled three pairs of scissors toward the Heavenly Eye above.
The scissors flew out through the Heavenly Eye and plunged into the ocean.
Spinning rapidly in the seawater, the three pairs of scissors sheared away a massive mass of water that drifted slowly up into the air.
Under the churning of the scissors, the seawater rapidly vaporized.
Jiang Ling'er opened a cabinet and brought out eighty-one spools of thread, arranging them in nine rows. Each spool held silk thread of a different color.
She tossed out a box of steel needles, and seven hundred twenty-nine needles hovered in midair.
Manipulating the eighty-one spools, Jiang Ling'er threaded the steel needles in a very peculiar manner: one needle held nine threads, and one thread pierced through nine needles.
Threaded with silk, the steel needles flew into the air, darting back and forth through the vapor, swiftly weaving the shape of a cloud.
Bound by needle and thread, the rising vapor gathered densely above Boundless City, condensing into a massive raincloud.
Li Banfeng stood up, looking up at the cloud above Boundless City.
Jiang Ling'er said, "The cloud is heavy, yet not too heavy. Don't charge up with brute force. Fly upward carrying the cloud with you, just like flying a kite."
There were things she did not quite know how to articulate, but Li Banfeng understood her meaning.
When she said heavy, she was referring to the cloud's mass.
When she said not too heavy, she meant the density of the raincloud.
Li Banfeng had once sent a cotton "cloud" into the sky, and that cotton "cloud" saturated with water vapor had not been light either. Li Banfeng knew the technique.
Gripping a corner of the cloud, he rode the wind upward. He had climbed barely a dozen meters when a gust of sea wind struck, nearly flipping him over.
The Judge's Brush propped Li Banfeng up, steadying his footing, then wove back and forth through the cloud to maintain its balance.
It could provide support, but it could not carry Li Banfeng aloft. If the cloud was to be sent up, Li Banfeng had to do it himself; otherwise, even if the Judge's Brush lifted it for him, the cloud would not be able to store Li Banfeng's combat strength and human vitality.
Once Li Banfeng reached a certain altitude, he suddenly could not fly any higher. The sensation was strikingly familiar, just like encountering an Ineffable Barrier in Puluo Province.
"Isn't this the Inner States? Why would there be an Ineffable Barrier in the Inner States too?"
The Judge's Brush said, "Don't think about that right now!"
Flying became harder and harder. His body, already pushed to its absolute limit, quickly reached exhaustion.
"I can hardly hold onto this cloud... it's just too heavy." Li Banfeng's body began to slowly drop.
Watching from beneath the Heavenly Eye, Jiang Ling'er could tell something was wrong with Li Banfeng.
Yet there was nothing she could do. Only a cloud delivered aloft by Li Banfeng's own hands could form a resonance with him; this was the crucial crux of the Cloud Gate skill.
"Could it be he isn't fated for this?" Jiang Ling'er knitted her brows tightly. Just as she was pondering a solution, she saw Li Banfeng rise once more, a dark silhouette assisting him at his side.
Was that his own shadow?
Indeed it was. It was Banfeng Two, who was in just as terrible a state as he was.
Li Banfeng gritted his teeth. "I don't think we can get this cloud up there. I really can't hold out much longer."
Banfeng Two scoffed coldly. "What kind of talk is that? Are you actually ready to die?"
Li Banfeng suddenly remembered something. "When did you learn to ride the wind and mount the clouds?"
Banfeng Two replied, "I didn't know how before this. You forced me to be some vanguard, and that Blade Cultivator drove me into a corner. Risking my neck, I ended up learning it."
"Do you really think I can lift this cloud up?"
Banfeng Two grinned. "What's the big deal? Isn't it just hauling a heavy sack? Back when we didn't have food to eat, couldn't we haul sacks just fine? Old One, let's go!"
Jiang Ling'er watched as Li Banfeng fell again and again, only to climb back up time and time again.
She knew how to use the Cloud Gate skill herself, and she had seen others use it, but she had never seen anyone do it the way Li Banfeng did.
Did he know how to do it or not?
Could he pull this off or not?
Li Banfeng ran out of strength and nearly plunged into the ocean.
He soared back up again, flying exceptionally high this time.
Before long, Li Banfeng plummeted once more.
Yet this time, the cloud did not fall.
It was done!
The cloud hung in the heavens!
Jiang Ling'er caught Li Banfeng in her arms, laid him on the bed, and asked, "Can you split half of your human vitality and channel it into the cloud above?"
Li Banfeng did not know if he could either; he had never tried.
The Judge's Brush declared, "He can!"
Lying atop the cloud, Banfeng Two nodded. "I think we can!"
Banfeng Zi, lying beside Banfeng Two, intoned, "The Master said: 'Verily, we can!'"
Banfeng Three warned, "Chou, don't squirm around! This cloud isn't sturdy!"
Banfeng Chou huffed, "Call me Jun!"
Li Banfeng nodded at Jiang Ling'er. "I can."
Extending her right hand, Jiang Ling'er formed scissors with her index and middle fingers and said to Li Banfeng, "Then let's begin."
Her two fingers snipped open his skin like inch-by-inch flesh slicing.
Li Banfeng's eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
If only Madam were here. Her methods of advancement were far gentler than Jiang Ling'er's.
***
Zhao Xiaowan shuddered, a recurring ache stabbing at her heart.
Had something happened to her husband?
She knew the telephone was vibrating. She knew her husband was looking for her with something urgent, but she could not speak right now.
The Blood-Soaked Pendulum could barely stand. She deeply regretted bringing Luo Yuni's body out today; had she been merely a pendulum, she could have at least hidden herself.
Yet without this body, she could not carry the new torch Zhao Xiaowan had crafted.
Zhao Xiaowan had created a new model of torch, intending at first to invite Li Banfeng over to test it together.
Fearing it might not work and leave her husband disappointed, she had instead taken the torch and three magical treasures to the border between Qiqiu City and Moxiang Shop to test it.
Who could have guessed that in a patch of woods along the border, she would run right into Mister Kongfang?
Zhao Xiaowan hid in a banyan tree, undiscovered for the moment.
Mister Kongfang did not know Zhao Xiaowan's exact location yet, but he had already sensed her presence.
Mengde was shrunken inside the pocket watch, trembling violently in a ball. The second hand vibrated harder than the telephone. Had Madam not muffled it with a Sound Cultivator skill, Mister Kongfang would have heard the ticking of the pocket watch long ago.
Had it been Mister Kongfang alone, Zhao Xiaowan possessed methods to contest him. Even though this puppet body was frail and she had not prepared extensively, she was confident she could at least escape even if she could not win.
However, Mister Kongfang had not come alone.
After losing over two thousand copper coins above the clouds, Kongfang could not swallow the indignation. He had summoned five Snowflake Pu members to Qiqiu City, determined to get to the bottom of the matter.
Among those five were Merchant Cultivator Feng Chongli, Joy Cultivator Shang Rongchu, and Mu Yuejuan—a newly inducted Snowflake Pu member who was both a Painting and Joy Cultivator. With three stellar realm experts among them, winning a fight would be exceptionally difficult.
Zhao Xiaowan glanced at the torch in the Pendulum's hand, then toward the distant Boundary.
Her intention was clear: if things took a turn for the worse, throw the torch onto the Boundary to destroy it outright.
Tears welled in the Pendulum's eyes. She knew that if it truly came to that, she would likely perish alongside Zhao Xiaowan.
Among the magical treasures, only the old teapot remained calm; a veteran of many battles, he was prepared for a fight to the death.
Joy Cultivator Shang Rongchu caught the scent of sweat from the Pendulum, a scent he fancied greatly.
Tracking the odor, he slowly drew closer to the banyan tree. Zhao Xiaowan braced herself to strike.
Zhao Xiaowan truly wished it were Mister Kongfang walking over; she did not want to waste an ambush on Shang Rongchu, but current circumstances gave her no choice.
Just as Shang Rongchu prepared to test the area with a skill, he abruptly turned his head toward Mu Yuejuan and stared at her intently for a long time.
"What are you staring at me for?" Mu Yuejuan frowned. Though they were both Joy Cultivators, Mu Yuejuan loathed Shang Rongchu, feeling he was far too flamboyant and lacking in masculine vigor.
Shang Rongchu sneered. "Elder sister, who wants to stare at you? I'm looking at that young lady beside you."
Beside Mu Yuejuan stood a Travel Cultivator, a woman in her thirties.
Her name was Qian Yueyi, and her body shuddered continuously as if racked by a chill.
"Are you sick?" Mu Yuejuan frowned and stepped aside.
To join Snowflake Pu, one had to be at least above the clouds; ordinary illnesses could never bring down a cultivator above the clouds.
With Qian Yueyi falling this severely ill, had she been struck by some other method?
Even as they spoke, Qian Yueyi suddenly collapsed to the ground, convulsing and vomiting.
Moved by pity for the fairer sex, Shang Rongchu stepped forward and took Qian Yueyi into his arms. "Miss Qian, what's wrong?"
The others all assumed Qian Yueyi had fallen ill. Mister Kongfang walked over, took one look, and shook his head. "She isn't sick. This is Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity."
Everyone looked at Mister Kongfang. None of the people who joined Snowflake Pu lacked experience; at most, Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Calamity would produce a sudden shudder. How could anyone convulse to the brink of shock like this?
Mister Kongfang looked into the distance. A trace of tension showed on his face as copper coins spun endlessly across his fingertips.
Zhao Xiaowan was equally tense. She generated faint cicada chirps to thoroughly mask her breath and sound.
Using Discerning Spiritual Sound, she caught the sound of footsteps—extraordinarily unusual footsteps.
A gaunt middle-aged man walked into the woods and looked at the crowd. "I'm looking for someone. Do you know where Li Qi is?"
"Li Qi?" Shang Rongchu looked at the middle-aged man. "We're looking for someone too. The one we're looking for might also be..."
He meant to say Li Qi as well. It was the truth; few people in Qiqiu City were capable of ambushing Mister Kongfang, and Li Qi had been Mister Kongfang's primary suspect.
Yet this middle-aged man before them was definitely not an ally. Mister Kongfang waved a hand gently, warning Shang Rongchu not to speak with him.
Although his physique and facial features appeared unfamiliar, Mister Kongfang had an unsettling feeling that he had seen this middle-aged man before—and more than once.
The middle-aged man scanned the group and demanded, "Who exactly are you looking for? Tell me honestly."
Shang Rongchu's brows furrowed.
What did he mean by honestly?
Was this an interrogation?
An elderly man cupped his hands toward the middle-aged man. "Friend, we are of Snowflake Pu."
This old man was named Zhou Piaoyu, a cultivator of the third tier above the clouds. He was quite senior within Snowflake Pu and possessed ample experience dealing with such sudden confrontations.
Snowflake Pu enjoyed a formidable reputation across Puluo Province. Under normal circumstances, naming the organization would prompt any outsider to back down.
Yet the middle-aged man acted as though he had not heard a word, continuing, "I don't care who you're looking for. I am looking for Li Qi, and I want to know his whereabouts right now."
Who did he think he was talking to?
Zhou Piaoyu's face darkened. "We don't know Li Qi's whereabouts either. Go ask someone else."
The middle-aged man cast an eye over Zhou Piaoyu. "Who is someone else? Bring him here, and I'll ask him."
Veins bulged on Zhou Piaoyu's forehead. In all his years with Snowflake Pu, he had never been subjected to such disrespect.
Feng Chongli spoke up. "Mister, we meet as strangers by chance, owing nothing to one another. On what grounds do you order us about so imperiously?"
"Owing nothing to one another?" The middle-aged man chuckled softly. "What is your relationship to the Peddler?"
Feng Chongli said, "I could be considered a disciple of the Peddler."
"Since when did the Peddler ever take disciples?" The middle-aged man shook his head. "Perhaps some lineage was on the verge of extinction, and out of pity, he taught you a technique or two. You seem fairly sharp, so I'll assign this task to you: go find Li Qi immediately. I want word today."
Everyone stared at the middle-aged man in silence.
The middle-aged man barked, "Are you all deaf? What are you standing around here for?"
Seeing this posturing, the members of Snowflake Pu knew reason was out of the question and readied themselves to strike.
Zhou Piaoyu stepped to the front, Shang Rongchu followed close behind, and Feng Chongli observed the middle-aged man's footing.
Standing beside Mister Kongfang, Mu Yuejuan whispered, "This man's presence feels somewhat familiar."
Mister Kongfang remained silent for a long time. Suddenly, Zhou Piaoyu made his move.
He flicked three arrows from his sleeve. Three split into six, six into twelve, and in the blink of an eye, over a hundred arrows materialized, hurtling toward the middle-aged man's face.
At the same time, Feng Chongli acted, unleashing the Merchant Cultivator skill: Fair to Old and Young Alike.
This was an original skill created by the Peddler, effective not only against Fool Cultivators but also against substitution techniques.
A substitution technique involved using skills to create substitute objects that absorbed incoming harm.
Shu Wanjuan and Boss Lu frequently used written characters to ward off lethal blows—a quintessential substitution technique, where their characters served as substitutes.
Fair to Old and Young Alike could break through substitute objects, though the thoroughness of the dispel depended on cultivation depth.
Feng Chongli certainly could not nullify Shu Wanjuan's Heavenly Unity skill, but ordinary substitution techniques stood no chance before him.
An Arrow Cultivator's strike never missed, and Feng Chongli stripped away any means of defensive substitution.
Shang Rongchu followed immediately, deploying the Joy Cultivator skill: Flirting and Scolding.
This prepared the ground for the subsequent blow: even if the middle-aged man possessed a formidable physique and survived being hit by the arrows, it would not matter.
The moment even a single arrow touched him, Flirting and Scolding would take effect, rendering every strike he made thereafter as limp and powerless as lovers teasing each other.
The three worked in seamless coordination, leaving no avenue of survival in their assault.
Facing the onslaught of arrows, the man remained expressionless. He did not dodge, did not parry, and did not invoke any martial art skill.
He merely stomped a foot down.
The stomp carried tremendous force, shaking numerous withered leaves from the trees.
Under ordinary circumstances, dead leaves drift down slowly, but driven by some unfathomable force, these leaves fell not only with shocking swiftness, but with pinpoint accuracy—each leaf perfectly intercepting an arrow.
Leaves were no substitute objects; they were genuine physical matter.
Yet what could physical matter accomplish? Blocking an Arrow Cultivator's arrows with dry leaves? Was this man mad?
Zhou Piaoyu's arrows could easily punch through brick walls; how could mere leaves arrest them?
Yet today's display defied all logic: every single arrow became embedded in a leaf and tumbled to the ground.
Once one hundred ninety-two arrows struck the earth, three leaves remained suspended in midair.
With a wave of the middle-aged man's hand, the three leaves shot toward Zhou Piaoyu, Feng Chongli, and Shang Rongchu.
Mister Kongfang moved to rescue the three, but it was already too late. From the trio's initial attack to the descent of those three leaves, barely a blink had elapsed.
The middle-aged man looked first at Feng Chongli. "You claim to be a disciple of the Peddler, so I'll give him face and spare your life this once."
The abacus in Feng Chongli's hand shattered completely, even its beads blasted into dust. Splinters gouged a patch of bleeding holes across his arm, leaving him trembling in agony.
The middle-aged man turned his gaze to Shang Rongchu. "I despise Joy Cultivators. Your lineage harms people. I'll grant you a chance to mend your ways."
Clutching his groin, Shang Rongchu collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely.
He had been castrated.
Then the man looked toward Zhou Piaoyu. "Arrow Cultivators are going extinct anyway. I despise those who shoot cold arrows on the battlefield. So let your lineage die out right here!"
Zhou Piaoyu's body split from his forehead all the way down below his waist, cleaved cleanly in two.
Qian Yueyi convulsed even more violently on the ground, while Mu Yuejuan could not help but shudder.
"Are you Shan Chengjun?" Mu Yuejuan asked.
Shan Chengjun smiled. "Juan'er, you're as lovely as ever."
Chills shot through Zhao Xiaowan. Crouching in the tree, she held her breath.
Mu Yuejuan reached to draw her paintbrush for a desperate last stand.
Shan Chengjun waved a dismissive hand, signaling her not to move. "Juan'er, wait aside for a moment. Let me look at this useless disciple of mine first."
He turned his eyes to Mister Kongfang. "Yeqing, you didn't even recognize me just now?"
Mister Kongfang indeed had not recognized Shan Chengjun earlier; Shan Chengjun's appearance had changed drastically.
Now he recognized him, but it seemed doing so came too late.
Shan Chengjun had no intention of killing Mister Kongfang right away. "The one I seek is a rebel. That scoundrel stirs up trouble across Puluo Province, has set up a false crown prince, and colludes with traitors in the imperial court to plot treason—truly an unpardonable fiend.
"I come to Puluo Province on imperial decree to bring this rebel, Li Qi, to justice. This city was built by that rebel. Take your people to uncover his whereabouts. The young and old of the city are all accomplices to the rebel—spare none, slaughter them all."
Mister Kongfang remained rooted to the spot.
Shan Chengjun glanced at him. "Did you not hear what I just said? The Sovereign has decreed that Li Qi is a rebel. I am ordering you to slay the rebel."
Mister Kongfang replied, "He is the Sovereign's rebel. What does that have to do with me?"
Shan Chengjun asked, "Are you not a subject of the Sovereign?"
Mister Kongfang countered, "Why should I be his subject? What good does it do me?"
Shan Chengjun could not comprehend Mister Kongfang's mindset. "Yeqing, you're not young anymore. You should be past the age of youthful folly."
Mister Kongfang shook his head. "Master, this has nothing to do with age. I simply loathe that Sovereign. Aside from you, he is the person I loathe most."
Shan Chengjun nodded. "Spoken with backbone. Yet in my presence, you dare act this arrogant?"
Kongfang squeezed the copper coins in his palm. "You only dare act arrogant in front of me. When the Peddler arrives, you won't be arrogant anymore."
"Is that so?" Shan Chengjun laughed. "No wonder you flew the Peddler's banner for so many years. You wanted to be a dog for him, but he wouldn't take you, isn't that right?"
Mister Kongfang spun the copper coins twice across his fingertips. "In your eyes, if one doesn't become a dog for your Sovereign, one must surely become a dog for someone else, right?"
A blast of fierce wind tore into the woods, sweeping up grit and dust.
As the sand and dust passed Shan Chengjun, it accelerated abruptly, roaring toward Mu Yuejuan.
Mu Yuejuan tried to shield herself with a scroll, but could not draw it in time. The sand flew with such terrifying speed that a direct hit would perforate her like a sieve.
Just as the grit was about to strike her face, a shower of copper coins flew in, forming a wall that blocked the barrage.
When fighting Shan Chengjun, one had to prepare for this kind of menace—no one ever knew what object he would turn into a weapon next.
Shan Chengjun kicked the toe of his foot against the earth, sending a wave of dirt, dead twigs, and rotting leaves flying toward Mister Kongfang.
"Go!" With copper coins fluttering all around him, Mister Kongfang absorbed the blow and ordered the Snowflake Pu members to retreat at once.
Mu Yuejuan seized the moment, pulling Qian Yueyi into a painting scroll. Feng Chongli dragged Shang Rongchu inside along with them.
Shan Chengjun found Mu Yuejuan's actions unusual. "That woman's temperament has changed. Fleeing for her life, she still bothers to look after others. It seems you've trained her well. If you kept her as an assistant, you might have lived a little longer."
Mister Kongfang scoffed at that. "Hardly. Having followed you for so many years, I've rarely seen you leave anyone alive."
Shan Chengjun laughed. "Do you think Mu Yuejuan and the others can actually escape?"
Mister Kongfang rattled the coins across his body. "Every step away counts!"
With a wave of Shan Chengjun's hand, a willow tree was ripped out by its roots. Its hanging branches lashed toward Mister Kongfang like whips.
Mister Kongfang parried with copper coins. The coins repelled three lashes before a great mass of them shattered; in Shan Chengjun's grasp, supple willow boughs exerted staggering destructive force.
Mister Kongfang quickly replenished his coins, but his reserves were limited after being thoroughly plundered by Li Banfeng recently.
As another bough whipped down, Mister Kongfang changed tactics, slicing through the branch with the sharpened edges of his copper coins.
The branch was severed, yet the willow leaves flew forward, blowing Mister Kongfang's bamboo hat to splinters.
The veil beneath the hat fell away, and the strings of life-saving coins fastened to it dropped as well, exposing Mister Kongfang's true face.
From cheekbones to cheeks, from forehead to chin, over a hundred scars crisscrossed his visage, leaving even his eyelids mangled and uneven.
For so many years, Mister Kongfang had refused to show his real face. Now that his hat had fallen, he instinctively moved to cover it.
Shan Chengjun narrowed his eyes with disgust. "I shouldn't have struck your head just now. How many years has it been since I saw that ugly mug of yours? One look at you and I won't have an appetite for days."
Giving up on concealing his face, Mister Kongfang scooped up the remnants of his shattered hat and hurled them out. The fragments transformed into flying blades, chopping the willow tree into a heap of sawdust.
Shan Chengjun picked up another willow twig and casually whipped it against Mister Kongfang's arm.
Clutching his arm, Mister Kongfang stumbled back two paces. That single strike had fractured the bone of his left arm.
From her vantage point in the tree, Zhao Xiaowan saw everything clearly. The disparity in their strength was immense, yet Mister Kongfang truly had guts today, battling Shan Chengjun this far without shrinking back for an instant.
Holding the willow twig, Shan Chengjun trimmed it slightly. "I came to Puluo Province as an imperial envoy on sovereign decree to apprehend rebels. For the sake of our past master and disciple bond, I will ask you one last time: Ai Yeqing, will you accept the decree or not?"
Mister Kongfang shook his head and tapped the tip of his foot against the earth, kicking up a burst of sand and dust as well.
Shan Chengjun gave a slight chuckle, easily sweeping the dust aside with a flick of his sleeve.
Not only did he block it, but the repelled sand whipped back against Mister Kongfang, scoring bloody gashes across his body.
Shan Chengjun sighed. "Stick to your copper coins; at least that's passable. Don't humiliate yourself with those clumsy half-baked tricks—you truly disgrace me."
With those words, Shan Chengjun raised the willow twig to strike again. Mister Kongfang being beaten to death was only a matter of time.
Yet as he struck, a splash of ink abruptly blocked Shan Chengjun's vision. Dispersing the ink with his sleeve, he discovered Mu Yuejuan standing beside Mister Kongfang.
Shan Chengjun laughed. "Now that's a novelty. Juan'er, someone as terrified of dying as you actually dared come back to face me?"
Mu Yuejuan gritted her teeth. "I had no choice! You just left a mark on me. No matter where I run, you'd find me. Rather than waiting for you to slaughter me, I might as well join Ai Thousand-Blades and fight you to the death!"
As she spoke, Mu Yuejuan bit her wrist open and dipped her brush in blood, painting a ferocious striped tiger.
The tiger lunged at Shan Chengjun. Drawn in blood, this tiger alone possessed power sufficient to match a cultivator of the first tier above the clouds.
Shan Chengjun flicked the willow twig, instantly smashing the tiger to pieces.
Taking advantage of that opening, Mister Kongfang ripped off a string of copper coins and looped it tightly around Shan Chengjun's neck.
Shan Chengjun casually tore off a strip of tree bark, severed the coins, and thrust the bark straight into Mister Kongfang's chest.
Mu Yuejuan painted two golden eagles to swoop in and battle Shan Chengjun.
Shan Chengjun plucked a leaf, tore through the eagles, and sent the leaf flying toward Mu Yuejuan.
*Bzzzt!*
A deep hum resonated through the air, like the muffled roar of a ferocious beast or the droning whine of machinery.
Amidst that low hum, the leaves flying through the air lost their momentum and drifted down to the ground.
Shan Chengjun paused. Who was striking from the shadows?
Zhao Xiaowan had intervened.
She understood Mu Yuejuan's abnormal courage all too well, for today's adversary was Shan Chengjun.
Anyone facing Shan Chengjun had to be prepared to fight to the bitter end.
Shan Chengjun recognized that a Sound Cultivator skill was at play. Grabbing a handful of gritty soil from a tree trunk, he hurled it outward. Should Zhao Xiaowan use a Sound Cultivator skill again, he could pinpoint her position by tracing the motion of the grit.
Yet before the sand could travel far, a sheet of water intercepted it.
Having blocked the grit, the water curtain did not disperse; instead, it surged straight toward Shan Chengjun.
Shan Chengjun plucked a plantain leaf to ward it off, but failed to block it completely. Splashes struck his face—the water was scalding hot, leaving his cheek flushed red from the heat.
Where had this water curtain come from?
Had Ai Yeqing done it?
Looking at Ai Yeqing's solemn, composed expression, it truly seemed like his doing.
Shan Chengjun glanced around, finding no water source.
To a Martial Cultivator, everything could serve as a weapon, drawn from whatever lay at hand. There was neither pond nor spring nearby. Ai Yeqing could not very well dig a well on the spot to draw water; that was not how a Martial Cultivator fought.
Ai Yeqing wanted to pioneer a Deceiver Cultivator path—could he be playing tricks?
Mister Kongfang himself had no idea where the water had come from, nor could Mu Yuejuan tell.
Could there be a Water Cultivator nearby?
Had Shui Yongquan arrived?
Mu Yuejuan did not think so; she knew Shui Yongquan's capabilities, and with his skills, he could never harm Shan Chengjun.
*Splaaash...*
The sound of water trickled once more.
Zhao Xiaowan felt the sound was quite close. She turned back to look at the Pendulum.
Had this wench pissed herself out of fright?
The Pendulum shook her head, indicating she had not.
Mengde was curled up inside the pocket watch; though he trembled nonstop, no water came from him.
Zhao Xiaowan looked at the old teapot next. The teapot lifted its lid, showing that all he contained was tea.
Where had the water come from, then?
A pretty woman stood up from the tall grass, pulling up her skirt.
Shan Chengjun stared at her for quite some time.
Blushing, the woman said, "A girl was taking a piss, what are you staring at?"
Shan Chengjun rubbed his face. "This was your piss?"
The woman nodded and grinned. "If you don't believe it, take a taste!"
Shan Chengjun gritted his teeth and sneered. "What are you doing here?"
With a solemn look, the woman declared, "I came here to stick my nose into your business!"
Shan Chengjun frowned. "Crazy hag, what business here is worth your meddling?"
Wiping the smile from her face, the woman took on a ferocious expression. "Open your blind dog eyes! Don't you even look whose territory this is?"
Chapter 691