by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
"How had he vanished right in front of my eyes? That is not possible!" muttered a shifty-eyed man indignantly.
He was a short man with an appearance that wasn't exactly pleasing, the kind of person whose company most people wouldn't enjoy. However, his scouting technique had caught Zhu Changchuang's eyes. Thus, he was accepted as a follower and was able to join the academy with that identity.
He was the person sent to monitor Xiang Shaoyun's whereabouts, yet he had failed at his task. His failure filled him with a sense of urgency. After all, they were currently in a spacious and flat land with few places to hide, yet Xiang Shaoyun had vanished into thin air. He had trouble believing his own eyes.
"Are you looking for me?" Xiang Shaoyun's ethereal voice rang out abruptly, frightening the person tailing him so much that the man started shaking.
The tail quickly scanned his surroundings and extended his senses, but still, he failed to locate Xiang Shaoyun. It filled him with confusion.
Is it an illusion? the man thought to himself.
Little did he know, Xiang Shaoyun was standing right in front of him. He was the one who couldn’t see Xiang Shaoyun at all.
"You had followed me here from the academy. You are quite a good tail, I must admit," said Xiang Shaoyun.
Once again, the tail jumped. He stepped back and said, "W-where are you?"
"I'm right in front of you. Can't you see me?" Xiang Shaoyun sneered.
"No, that's not possible! Stop with your tricks and show yourself," said the tail as he hastily retreated.
Since he had been discovered, he couldn't stay any longer. Unfortunately for him, Xiang Shaoyun wouldn't let him go. Dashing forward, Xiang Shaoyun wrapped his fingers around the tail's throat. The tail felt his entire body turn cold as he sensed Xiang Shaoyun's frosty killing intent.
Bang!
Without the slightest hesitation, Xiang Shaoyun slammed the tail on the ground, creating a cloud of dust. Before the man could get off the ground, numerous incorporeal symbols plunged into his brain.
Chapter 637: Zhu Changchuang's Scheme
Diao Hao was the name of the person tailing Xiang Shaoyun. He was an excellent tail. Unfortunately for him, he had encountered Xiang Shaoyun. Whatever skill he had, it was completely useless.
After putting Diao Hao under his control with the Nether Dragon Soul Curse, Xiang Shaoyun made him confess everything. He learned that Zhu Changchuang was the person who had drawn the plan to kidnap Lady Shura. With Zhu Changchuang being the number one expert under Di Lin, it was clear that the kidnapping definitely had something to do with Di Lin.
Zhu Changchuang is only in charge of kidnapping Lady Shura. The Di Clan's lackeys are probably the actual ones in charge of killing me, thought Xiang Shaoyun.
After thinking about it for a bit, Xiang Shaoyun decided to play along with the scheme and use Diao Hao to inform Zhu Changchuang that Xiang Shaoyun was coming with a group of helpers and would arrive in about three days.
Of course, the so-called helpers referred to only the academy disciples with no outsiders involved. The reason for that was to keep Zhu Changchuang and his people settled so he could find a chance to sneak into the Nisha Range and rescue Lady Shura.
After telling Diao Hao to travel by himself, Xiang Shaoyun rushed toward the Nisha Range at top speed. He couldn't imagine how those people would treat Lady Shura with her in their hands.
If you dare harm even a hair on her, I will make sure all of you die a horrible death, Xiang Shaoyun inwardly vowed. While he traveled, he fed the ghostrunes the devil cores he had accumulated.
"Gui Qi, what is your rank right now?" Xiang Shaoyun asked.
"Master, I am now a sixth-stage Emperor," answered Gui Qi.
"A sixth-stage ghostrune Emperor? That's fast progress, but it's still not fast enough," Xiang Shaoyun sighed.
In the past, Gui Qi was only a peak King. To reach his current level in only about three years could be considered a rapid improvement. Xiang Shaoyun was hoping that Gui Qi could have reached peak Emperor Realm by now. That way, he would be a threat to even Sovereigns. Perhaps they would even be able to assassinate a Sovereign or two. That way, rescuing Lady Shura by himself would be much easier.
Unfortunately, it seemed impossible to push Gui Qi to that level immediately despite his fast growth. More importantly, the ghostrunes' bloodline power wasn't too powerful. It hadn't been easy for them to reach this level. For Gui Qi to reach the Sovereign Realm, some time would still be required.
Even by feeding them a large number of high-level devil cores, it still wouldn't be possible to increase their strength rapidly within a short time frame. After all, just digesting the devil cores required time.
Xiang Shaoyun regretted not feeding the ghostrunes the devil cores earlier to push Gui Qi into the Sovereign Realm.
Traveling while thinking, Xiang Shaoyun finally arrived near the Nisha Range proper. Once again, he entered invisibility. He was sure there must be some people waiting for him to deliver himself to his death at the Nisha Range's entrance. Apart from the nether prison devil puppet, he really had no way of dealing with a Sovereign for now. Rescuing Lady Shura wouldn't be an easy feat.
Nisha Range was an ancient mountain range that was still comparable to the Hundred Beast Mountain Range Xiang Shaoyun had seen before, even though it wasn't as massive as the Dragon Phoenix Mountain Range.
Numerous ancient trees dotted the mountains, making it hard to see the happenings in the mountain range. At a certain mountain near the range's fringe, Lady Shura was tied to a big tree. Her mask had been taken off, yet the face she showed was incredibly ugly.
Thus, regardless of her alluring figure, the men lost all interest in her. This was a face she got using a human face mask before leaving the academy. Her caution had paid off, as it had now saved her from humiliation.
Zhu Changchuang wasn't standing guard. Instead, there were two Emperors, and they were no pushovers. One was a peak Emperor, while the other was a ninth-stage Emperor. However, they weren't the actual guards. The true guards were hidden nearby, lying in wait.
As for Zhu Changchuang, he was staying with the two old men in charge of dealing with Xiang Shaoyun. At this time, he received a letter from a flying mouse messenger. With the mouse in hand, he read the letter before saying to the two old men, "Xiang Shaoyun is on the way and will be here in about three days."
The two did not even bother opening their eyes. One of them answered, "Ok. You may also return after this is dealt with."
Zhu Changchuang answered obediently, "Yes."
The two old men were the same ones who had once hunted Duo Ji, the two known as Winter Frost and Summer Flame. After all this time, their cultivation level had grown stronger.
The Ziling Sect's determination to end Xiang Shaoyun could be seen just from the fact that they had sent over two late-stage Sovereigns. Since Zhu Changchuang did not want to continue staying with the two old men, he headed toward Lady Shura.
"Brothers, can you allow me to have a chat with that woman? Xiang Shaoyun will only be here after three days. You guys don't have to keep standing guard here all the time," Zhu Changchuang said to the two Emperors watching over Lady Shura.
The ninth-stage Emperor smiled. "What? Are you interested in a woman like that? Your taste is quite unique, heh?"
Zhu Changchuang laughed awkwardly and said, "This place is insanely boring. It feels terrible to not have a way of venting myself. Brothers, please allow me this. I believe the two elders won't mind either."
"Haha, everything is fine so long as the two elders are agreeable. Come, let's go take a piss," said the ninth-stage Emperor with a chortle before leading his companion away.
That left only Zhu Changchuang and Lady Shura there. With a lusty look, Zhu Changchuang approached Lady Shura and smiled. "You think you can fool me with a human face mask? You're probably quite a beauty underneath that mask, right? How can you be Xiang Shaoyun's woman otherwise?"
Some emotions finally ap
peared in Lady Shura's eyes.
Zhu Changchuang gently caressed Lady Shura's face and smiled. "Before Xiang Shaoyun comes to save you, let me have some fun. He's dead for sure anyway. If you can satisfy me, I might let you live."
He then reached for Lady Shura's bosom.
Chapter 638: How Generous
Zhu Changchuang was rather good at observing people, and he had always suspected that the face Lady Shura was showing was a fake one. Through several days of observation, he was now sure that her current face was fake. That was how he came to the decision of having some fun with her before Xiang Shaoyun’s arrival. He reasoned that both Xiang Shaoyun and Lady Shura wouldn't survive, so he might as well enjoy himself first. After all, Lady Shura's figure was truly too alluring. If it wasn't for the fake ugly face she had, he would have taken her much sooner.
Lady Shura shut her eyes helplessly, her heart filled with despair. She had left the academy alone to prove that she was capable of achieving something with her own two hands. She was trying to increase her strength with her own efforts to reduce the gap between her and Xiang Shaoyun.
But instead, she was captured. It made her feel extremely powerless. She thought of Xiang Shaoyun, wondering if she would have the courage to face him after being dishonored by a different man. Just as Zhu Changchuang's hand was about to reach her, something else suddenly happened.
The peak Emperor had suddenly returned, sending a palm thrust toward the back of Zhu Changchuang's head. Zhu Changchuang had a reaction time that lived up to his reputation as a genius capable of entering the Dragon Phoenix Academy. He crouched down instantly and barely avoided the peak Emperor's fatal attack. However, the peak Emperor did not stop at that, and he pressed on with a kick.
"AHHH!"
Zhu Changchuang was sent flying far away like a kite with a broken string. Both Winter Frost and Summer Flame noticed the disturbance. They rushed over and shouted at the peak Emperor, "What the hell are you doing?"
"Elders, he was trying to harm the hostage. I was trying to stop him," said the peak Emperor.
"What's the big deal about that? You were attacking to kill! How are you going to answer to the ninth young master about this?" questioned Winter Frost with a frown.
"I had attacked in consideration of the ninth young master. If he decides to punish me for it, I'll accept it," answered the peak Emperor.
"Watch over the girl properly, then. I'll go check on that kid to see if he's dead," said Summer Flame as he dashed toward Zhu Changchuang.
At this time, the early ninth-stage Emperor returned as well. He had not expected that in the short time they had split, his partner would return and nearly kill Zhu Changchuang. Of course, he did not dare to question his partner. They were all sent here by the Di Clan, and he was the weakest of the lot. It was not his place to question anyone.
However, the incident still filled him with doubt. Earlier, his partner had not bothered stopping Zhu Changchuang. So why would he suddenly return and attack? Zhu Changchuang was still alive, at his final breath, and was successfully rescued by Summer Flame. The Emperor's attack was something Zhu Changchuang had not seen coming, and he couldn't even understand the reason no matter how hard he thought about it.
Xiang Shaoyun, who was hiding not far from them, had also learned about what had happened. In truth, the peak Emperor was one of the people who had attacked Xiang Shaoyun at the Dragon Phoenix Mountain Range. He was Yu Lin, and he had already fallen under Xiang Shaoyun's control during the attack. Xiang Shaoyun had only discovered that Yu Lin was also here when he had arrived. Through the Nether Dragon Soul Headband, he started controlling Yu Lin.
How generous of them to send Winter Frost and Summer Flame to deal with me, thought Xiang Shaoyun.
The two old men were Di Batian's loyal followers. They were considerably powerful, and only an old expert at the level of Duo Ji could be a match for them. Even with the nether prison devil puppet, he would have a hard time dealing with just one of them, not to mention both of them. Although he could ambush them with his invisibility, actually killing them was a pipe dream. He might even cause Lady Shura's death if he tried anything stupid. His only option was to wait for Shang Jifeng's reinforcements.
...
The Shang Clan was a well-known and influential clan within the Eastern Pass. Although they weren't as prestigious as the Yu Clan, they were stronger than tier-7 organizations because the clan was a tier-8 organization. Shang Jifeng was the most outstanding Shang Clan member of his generation. Thus, he was greatly loved by his clan.
More importantly, he also hailed from the main family line, giving him an even higher status. After returning, the first thing Shang Jifeng did was look for his father for reinforcements.
His father, Shang Yuanlan, had not expected to see his son. When he heard about the request for reinforcements, he asked, "What are you doing? You've only been in the academy for a bit more than a year, and you're already declaring wars with others?"
"Father, you misunderstand me. I got myself a boss at the academy. Now that my boss is in trouble at the Nisha Range, I need to help!" Shang Jifeng explained.
Shang Yuanlan had a look of disdain as he said, "It is completely normal for you academy disciples to encounter trouble when training outside. If you guys come back home for help at the first sign of trouble, what's the point of your training? You might as well abandon that kind of boss."
"If that's really what happened, I would never come for help. You see…," Shang Jifeng explained everything to his father.
"Oh. So his woman was captured, and he knows there's a trap there waiting for him, and he still walks right into it? What a moron," said Shang Yuanlan.
"Father, only someone with such loyalty to his people is worth helping!"
"Don't even dream about it. Someone like that will simply die under some trick sooner or later. You should leave him as soon as possible. I can't let him turn you into a moron like him!"
"Father, he holds a high-grade nine-star physique, the strongest physique in the academy. You sure you're not helping?” Shang Jifeng was getting nervous, to the point he even exposed Xiang Shaoyun's physique.
Sure enough, Shang Yuanlan narrowed his eyes. He blurted, "For real?"
"Why would I lie to you? Only someone with that physique can be my boss," said Shang Jifeng.
"I see. Then we have to help." Shang Yuanlan's attitude immediately took a complete change. "Do you know what kind of experts your enemies have sent this time?"
"A few Sovereigns, I suppose," guessed Shang Jifeng.
"A few Sovereigns? That is really over the top to deal with a young genius. I'll get Uncle Chen to pick a few people and have him go with you. If you manage to save him, remember to invite your boss to visit our place," said Shang Yuanlan.
"Thank you, Father. Will do," said Shang Jifeng joyfully. And thus, he successfully secured the reinforcements he required.
Chapter 639: Eager to Save
In the blink of an eye, two days passed. Xiang Shaoyun was getting impatient with waiting around. Through his senses, he confirmed that Yu Lin was being monitored. It was likely that Yu Lin had incurred suspicion. Zhu Changchuang had also recovered, and he had demanded that Yu Lin be killed. He even said that if nobody was willing to do that here, he would report it to Di Lin.
As someone on the Dragon Phoenix List, Zhu Changchuang was someone with extraordinary talent. A person like him would mature into a Heaven Battling Realm expert at the very least.
Thus, Winter Frost and Summer Flame could not afford to treat him like a regular junior. They wouldn't have allowed him free reign over Lady Shura otherwise. The only person acting weird was Yu Lin, the one who had created a fuss. In truth, Yu Lin wasn't at all important to them, but now was not the time to kill him.
"I will give you a satisfactory answer when this is over," promised Summer Flame to Zhu Changchuang.
"Thank you, Elder Summer. We can't spare him easily!" Zhu Changchuang said.
"It
has been two days, and Xiang Shaoyun should be here already. Has he changed his mind after finding out that this is a trap?" Winter Frost was getting impatient.
"That kid is quite smart, so he must have guessed the truth. If he's not coming, what should we do?" Summer Flame asked.
"I don't think so. My subordinate told me that he is on his way," Zhu Changchuang said.
"Hmph. If you're in his position and know that this is a trap, will you still come and throw your life away?" Winter Frost snorted coldly.
An awkward look covered Zhu Changchuang's face as he asked, "What should we do, then? Why don't you let me deal with the girl? We have no other uses for her anyway."
"Lust is like a knife hanging above your head. Looks like you have yet to understand that," said Summer Flame in a displeased manner. "You can take the girl away, but make sure to kill her before the day ends."
"Thank you, Elder Summer. I will definitely do so," said Zhu Changchuang in joy.
Still harboring the same evil intentions, Zhu Changchuang rushed toward Lady Shura. These days, Lady Shura's strength was completely sealed. She was completely helpless and had no way of escaping.
"Come with me. Today is the day you die regardless of whether Xiang Shaoyun is coming or not," said Zhu Changchuang as he dragged Lady Shura away after freeing her from the ropes binding her. He even shot Yu Lin a provocative look, as if challenging him to do something about this.
Yu Lin wanted to help, but with the two Sovereigns around, there was nothing he could do. Xiang Shaoyun lost his patience, seeing Zhu Changchuang's actions.
Screw it! I must keep Lady Shura safe! Xiang Shaoyun decided as he summoned the nether prison devil puppet and sent it flying toward Lady Shura.
As for himself, he went invisible as he followed the puppet. The moment Xiang Shaoyun moved, Winter Frost and Summer Flame detected some changes in their surroundings. However, they had only sensed the puppet and had not discovered Xiang Shaoyun.