sinovels Chapter 245 The End of a Woman's Life
Chapter 245 The End of a Woman's Life
Chapter 246 A Woman's End (First Update)
The entrance to the Lost Soul Swamp Secret Realm, the small courtyard of the encampment.
In the courtyard, a hastily made coffin lay there, inside which lay Yun Xiaocheng, the prodigy of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
Not even a complete corpse was left behind.
After all, his head was smashed by Jiang Mu and couldn't be put back together.
The atmosphere inside the courtyard was somber.
Zhou Yuanzhi stood quietly beside the high platform, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
Her slender, nail-painted fingers tapped lightly on the back of her arm as she quietly awaited the guard's investigation results.
"Master Zhou."
The old man in black, Elder Yuan, quickly stepped forward and reported, "I have just entrusted the dog demons in the vicinity to investigate. Judging from the initial clues, the girl in the pink dress who was with Jiang Mu is most likely a fox demon."
Although the Demon Slayer Division's motto is to slay all demons under heaven, in a lawless place like the Fallen Soul Swamp where evil spirits abound, completely eradicating them is nothing short of a pipe dream.
Mr. Yuan has been guarding the entrance to this secret realm for many years, and he is well aware of the principle that "if the water is too clear, there will be no fish".
They had long ago reached a tacit understanding with some local tyrants and monsters to not interfere with each other.
When faced with a difficult tracking situation, hiring local monsters by offering them blood sacrifices is often more effective than the tracking by the Demon Slayer Division.
"A fox demon?"
Zhou Yuanzhi paused slightly as she tapped her elbow, raising her eyebrows. "How come this kid is entangled with a vixen again?"
""
Old Yuan shook his head: "I don't know the specifics. However, those dog demons are very good at tracking, so I believe we'll be able to find out where they are soon."
Zhou Yuanzhi's eyes flickered slightly as she fell into deep thought.
A moment later, as if she had suddenly remembered something, her eyes sharpened abruptly: "I do remember now. When Jiang Mu was a playboy in Huzhou City, he had an adopted sister."
Later, when the Fog Demon attacked the city, the girl went mad and slaughtered the entire Jiang family before disappearing without a trace.
After the commander intervened in the investigation, he discovered that the girl was not human at all, but a fox demon from the Qingqiu clan named Qiu Yuexin.
Could it be that...?
"Was the woman with Jiang Mu just now that vixen named Qiu Yuexin?"
Yuan Lao was taken aback, and his expression turned strange: "That shouldn't be possible, right?"
That girl killed his entire family; the blood feud is there for him. How could Jiang Mu possibly stand with her?
"Ha, what's impossible?"
Zhou Yuanzhi scoffed, "This kid used to be a dissolute good-for-nothing who frequented brothels and was heartless. What wouldn't he do for a woman?"
Although he toned it down a bit later, how could he possibly change his deep-seated bad habits? He might even be bewitched by that vixen's seductive arts and forget his own name and how his parents died.
Men are animals driven by their lower instincts; what do boundaries matter to them?
Zhou Yuanzhi turned her head, her gaze turning cold as she looked at Ling Ye, who was sitting alone with his sword in the distance: "I remember that the Chief Commander specifically assigned the task of capturing Qiu Yuexin to Inspector Ling. It's a pity that our Lord Ling has been wandering around outside for so long, but he still hasn't been able to bring her back."
Now it seems, is it that they simply can't catch it, or have they been secretly colluding with the demons and deliberately protecting it?
Mr. Yuan did not dare to respond.
He, a demonic cultivator who guards the gate, dared not get involved in such a topic.
"boom!"
Suddenly, a powerful pressure descended from the sky.
The air could even be heard crackling as the air was compressed.
Several guards with lower cultivation levels in the courtyard turned pale on the spot, their knees buckled, and they were forced to the ground.
He couldn't even move his fingers.
Zhou Yuanzhi and Elder Yuan's expressions changed drastically, and they both activated their star power to resist.
Zhou Yuanzhi stared intently at the courtyard gate.
A woman, as fat as a mountain of flesh, slowly walked in.
As she appeared, countless venomous bees with fluttering wings surged into the sky. Thousands upon thousands of venomous scorpions and spiders also appeared densely on the courtyard walls and rooftops.
When Ling Ye saw the mountain of flesh that suddenly appeared, her pretty face turned pale.
She stood up, drew her long sword, and held it horizontally in front of her chest, as if facing a formidable enemy.
Ye Wujun!
When Zhou Yuanzhi saw this scene, her heart sank.
As the absolute local tyrant of the Fallen Soul Swamp, she knew all too well how terrifying Ye Wujun was.
Fortunately, this fat woman usually ruled the Valley of No Return and rarely went out to cause trouble, so she kept to herself and the imperial court.
This is the first time we've seen such a menacing scene blocking the Demon Slayer Division's headquarters.
"Master Ye."
Suppressing her apprehension, Zhou Yuanzhi coldly asked, "What brings you to my Demon Slayer Division with such a grand entourage?"
Ye Wujun's face was clouded with gloom.
She ignored Zhou Yuanzhi and stared at Ling Ye, coldly asking, "Where is Jiang Mu?!"
When they realized that the other party was actually coming for Jiang Mu, everyone in the courtyard was stunned.
Ling Ye took a deep breath, met Ye Wujun's murderous gaze, and coldly replied, "He has already left and returned to Huzhou City."
"You left?"
Ye Wujun let out a strange laugh, "If he's gone, why are you still standing here like a resentful woman? What? Did that little lover you risked your life to protect abandon you after he'd had his way with you?"
Ling Ye bit her lower lip and remained silent.
Zhou Yuanzhi sensed something was amiss and frowned, interjecting, "Valley Master Ye, what exactly is going on?"
"What happened?"
Ye Wujun sneered, "As a dog of the Daqing court, shouldn't you at least have the basic spirit of contract?"
Envoy Ling agreed to use her Star Core as a bargaining chip to get me to open the secret gate of the Valley of No Return and send that pretty boy Jiang Mu into the secret realm.
I kept my promise, and what happened?
"That despicable couple took the benefits but refused to acknowledge them. Not only did they not give us the Star Pill, they even colluded with demons to utterly destroy my Valley of No Return!"
Upon hearing this, the entire room fell silent.
Zhou Yuanzhi looked at Ling Ye in disbelief.
Star Pill?
Ling Ye actually used his only bargaining chip to regain his path to immortality to give Jiang Mu another chance to undergo a trial?
In an instant, Zhou Yuanzhi's gaze towards Ling Ye completely changed.
At first, she thought that Ling Ye's protection of Jiang Mu was only out of appreciation for her talent, or to atone for her disciple Shangguan Luoxue's sins.
But now it seems—
This is clearly a case of pure, unadulterated love-struck behavior!
Zhou Yuanzhi suddenly felt like laughing.
What an irony.
The woman before me was always cold and aloof, showing no respect to any man, and constantly proclaiming her disgust for men.
But the result?
Behind the scenes, for the sake of a mere youth, he was willing to abandon even the most vital path.
Willing to be a stepping stone.
"These so-called aloof fairies usually put on an air of being untouched by worldly affairs and looking down on all men, but once they have a heart of mortal desire, the baseness in their bones is even more lowly than that of prostitutes."
Zhou Yuanzhi scoffed inwardly.
Faced with Ye Wujun's accusation, Ling Ye coldly retorted: "Valley Master Ye, you deceived us first."
"You know perfectly well that the imperial court has placed restrictions in the secret realm, so even if Jiang Mu goes in, he has no chance of obtaining any opportunities."
"Bang!"
Before Ling Ye could finish speaking, Ye Wujun struck out with his palm!
A muffled thud.
Although Ling Ye was at the eighth realm, he was no match for the enraged tenth realm expert and was blasted backward, crashing into the stone wall behind him.
The wall cracked, and Ling Ye rolled to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
"Tell me! Where is that little beast?!"
Ye Wujun's massive body pressed down like a mountain, his voice icy cold.
Upon seeing this, Elder Yuan instinctively wanted to step forward to stop her, but Zhou Yuanzhi's sharp gaze froze him in place.
"My lord, this—"
Old Yuan's forehead was covered in sweat as he whispered, "Should we activate the great formation in the courtyard to temporarily block Ye Wujun?"
"If Inspector Ling were to die right under our noses, and news of it reaches the capital, it would be difficult to explain to the Grand Commander, and it would damage the court's reputation."
Zhou Yuanzhi fell into a brief silence.
Reason told her that Elder Yuan was right; Ling Ye was, after all, the Inspector of the General Headquarters.
I can't just die at the hands of a vicious woman from the martial arts world.
But----
The thought that his two prodigies, one dead and the other seriously injured, had all their opportunities stolen by Jiang Mu filled him with rage.
And the woman in front of you is an accomplice.
Zhou Yuanzhi was consumed by raging anger, which was eroding her reason.
Finally, she coldly shook her head: "No rush, let's wait and see. The great formation is to protect the entrance to the secret realm, it cannot be opened casually for private duels."
Zhou Yuanzhi wanted to use Ye Wujun to teach the other party a lesson.
Anyway, she didn't hit the person.
If Shangguan Luoxue wants to avenge her master in the future, she can simply destroy Wuhui Valley. What does it have to do with her?
Moreover, she didn't think Ye Wujun would kill Ling Ye; at most, he would just take the other's Star Core.
"You think you can get away with this just because you ran away?"
Ye Wujun approached Ling Ye, who was coughing up blood on the ground, step by step. His fat body trembled with rage. "I want your Star Core!"
"I want that little beast Jiang Mu's life too! I'll let him know—what happens when you mock me!"
After saying that, she stretched out her large, fleshy hand and grabbed at the air.
Then he pulled Ling Ye, who was on the ground, across the air.
Ye Wujun grabbed Ling Ye by the neck and lifted her into the air like a chick.
But the next second, she suddenly froze.
The once vibrant Ling Ye was transformed into a light, flimsy yellow paper figure in Ye Wujun's hands.
"Shedding skin technique? Paper doll substitute?"
Ye Wujun was taken aback at first, then laughed in anger.
She crushed the paper figure in her hand, then sniffed the air intently, muttering, "Well hidden, let's see how far you can run!"
She darted out of the courtyard.
Clearly, they were going to follow the scent to hunt down Ling Ye.
But as Ye Wujun stepped out the door, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and his sinister gaze swept over Zhou Yuanzhi: "Lord Zhou, did Jiang Mu leave or not?"
Zhou Yuanzhi remained calm and said indifferently, "To be honest, we are also looking for him everywhere."
"So they didn't leave." Ye Wujun snorted coldly.
Although she was arrogant, she knew her limits.
Today's severe damage to Ling Ye has already been a slap in the face to the imperial court. If they were to attack Zhou Yuanzhi as well, it would be a complete breakdown in relations and the start of war.
She sought wealth and life, not rebellion.
Just as Ye Wujun turned to leave, Zhou Yuanzhi suddenly called out to her.
"Valley Master Ye,"
Zhou Yuanzhi stared at the other person and tentatively asked, "Did Jiang Mu obtain any opportunities in the secret realm? Did he break through to a higher level?"
Ye Wujun was about to answer when his eyes suddenly lit up, and he said coldly, "Lord Zhou, didn't you hear what that vile woman said? The imperial court's restrictions are there; a cripple going in would be blind. How could he possibly obtain any opportunities? How could he break through?"
Ye Wujun is also a smart man.
I had already investigated Jiang Mu's situation and the reasons why she was abandoned.
If he were to achieve a breakthrough at this point, Zhou Yuanzhi might reconsider and stop him from killing Jiang Mu.
After saying this, the fat woman disappeared, and the poisonous insects and monsters around her also disappeared.
The pressure on everyone was greatly reduced, and they breathed a long sigh of relief.
Zhou Yuanzhi gazed in the direction where Ye Wujun had disappeared, her eyes swirling with emotion, and asked calmly, "Elder Yuan, do you think Ye Wujun lied about what he said just now?"
Yuan Lao frowned and pondered, "I can't say for sure either."
"Oh----"
Zhou Yuanzhi curled her lips into a mocking smile. "In comparison, I'd rather believe Valley Master Ye."
After all, if a woman is completely blinded by love, she might even use her Star Core, which is crucial to her future, as a bargaining chip.
Then it makes perfect sense that she deliberately fabricated the lie of a breakthrough to deceive us in order to save face for that useless person.
.
She shook her head and sighed softly, "Love is the thing that can turn a smart woman into a fool."
Ling Ye, oh Ling Ye, a dignified inspector, in the end she's nothing more than a lovesick woman bewitched by a young man. She even caused me some anxiety—what a disappointment!
Just then, a guard rushed over, his expression excited: "Lord Zhou, Elder Yuan! The dog demon has found a clue! They've discovered a group of fox demons lurking near Blue Moon Pool in the southwest, and among them is that woman in the pink dress!"
Have you seen Jiang Mu?
Zhou Yuanzhi's beautiful eyes narrowed, and she immediately pressed for an answer.
The guard shook his head: "We haven't spotted that kid yet."
A glint of light flashed in Zhou Yuanzhi's eyes, and she decisively said, "Elder Yuan, you continue to stay here in case anything changes."
I'll personally lead a team to Blue Moon Pool to investigate. Since that fox spirit is in cahoots with Jiang Mu, we can follow the trail and surely catch that little beast!
"Yes, Lord Zhou, please be careful in everything you do."
""
Mr. Yuan cupped his hands in greeting.
Zhou Yuanzhi nodded slightly, selected a few elite soldiers, and swiftly strode out of the courtyard.
The Wind Master is the star Ji (箕). Ji governs winnowing and can bring about wind.
【Ji Shui Leopard】!
It is the seventh of the seven constellations of the Azure Dragon in the East.
There are three stars below it.
They are [箕], [糠], and [杵].
What Yang Feifei forcibly "installed" into his body before her death was the [pestle].
"Pound it—"
Jiang Mu touched his chin.
I must say, the name of this star position is quite good; it mainly focuses on excavation.
However, Jiang Mu also knew the answer in her heart.
Yang Feifei's unusual gift before her death was not a case of dying people speaking kindly, nor was it a sudden change of heart.
She forcibly bound Jiang Mu to a cause and effect!
Even though she knew that Jiang Mu would inevitably become mortal enemies with her brother Yang Qintian in the future, she still wanted to give them a push before she died.
Jiang Mu should improve his cultivation as soon as possible so that he can confront Yang Qintian head-on.
So that I can avenge her.
Moreover, she directly caused Jiang Mu and Xun Xiao to collide, forcing them into life-or-death sworn enemies.
Because Xun Xiaotong's star position is precisely the [Kang] under the [Ji Shui Bao] system!
To reach a higher star level, you must kill your opponent and seize their star core.
However, this can be considered as Jiang Mu lowering the difficulty level.
After that, as long as we kill Xun Xiaozhuang and then find the last [Ji] star-rank cultivator, we can go and obtain the [Ji Shuibao] star-rank, one of the twenty-eight star-ranks.
"The Great Dao is a poisonous curse, and everyone is a worm within it."
Jiang Mu sighed for a moment, then a thought struck her.
As the [Pennise] star position merged, the [Heavenly Killing Star] that had previously dominated his body was rejected, automatically detached, and returned to the sea of stars.
Jiang Mu remained calm and directly took out the [Star-Locking Egg], guiding it with his divine sense.
And so, the star position returned to normal.
This action also put the other cultivators who were watching on the sidelines on the edge of their seats.
I don't know what happened, but a lot of star positions have suddenly appeared recently, but before I could grab them, they were proven wrong.
That hand speed is truly disgusting.
Of course, Jiang Mu doesn't care where it is from; it's all mine anyway.
The only slight regret he felt was that after entering the seventh realm, this star position no longer came with intuitive supernatural powers like "Whirlwind Slash" or "Vajra Wrath".
It is estimated that Heaven believes that reaching the seventh realm, this watershed moment, represents a qualitative leap in cultivation, a return to simplicity and authenticity.
Their main focus is on combat using absolute star power laws.
However, after some thought, Jiang Mu did not choose to maintain the seventh realm. Instead, he switched his main body's star position back to [Heavenly Killing Star], suppressing his realm to the level of the fifth realm.
It's not that he has any perverse sense of humor about pretending to be weak to deceive others.
Rather, it's because once you reach the seventh realm, the "quasi-venerable one" level, the waters become too deep.
Competitors from the same constellation will be like sharks that smell blood, trying every means to find out your secrets and ready to stab you in the back at any time.
Moreover, Jiang Mu wasn't sure if a powerful figure like Yang Qintian might have some secret method to sense Yang Feifei's death.
If I were to flaunt my seventh-realm cultivation at this critical juncture, even a fool would know where Yang Feifei's star position would go.
Always leave yourself an out, and keep half of your cards hidden.
Moreover, he also planned to take advantage of the benefits that Souji offered him; he figured he might as well take advantage of them.
After hiding the star position, Jiang Mu began to scavenge resources.
Although Yang Feifei turned to ashes, her magical artifacts remained.
However, after searching around, Jiang Mu found that the compass used to stabilize the "Blue Moon" had been completely destroyed in the earlier surge of spiritual energy, and several talismans had been burned to only half their original size.
In the end, Jiang Mu was left with only a booklet and a chess piece.
The chess piece is white and looks no different from ordinary chess pieces.
However, Jiang Mu remembered something.
They encountered Yan Zixiao in the wild. The reason he was being chased by Yang Feifei was because he possessed a [Heavenly Star-Fixing Stone], while Yang Feifei possessed an [Earthly Star-Fixing Stone].
When the two are combined, they can form a magical artifact that can purify the mind and eliminate demonic obstacles.
"It seems this is the Earth Element."
Jiang Mu weighed the chess piece in his hand, then casually put it into his pocket. "Next time I meet Master Yan, I'll borrow the other half to try it out."
Then, his gaze fell on the booklet.
The book is only two inches long, seemingly cast from gold and iron, and is extremely heavy, about three centimeters thick.
A chilling sword aura faintly emanated from the pages of the book.
On the cover, six large characters are engraved—
The Book of Karma and Retribution!
Turning to the first page, there was a line of tiny, dark red print at the bottom, as if written in blood:
[Take a wisp of resentment, seek a cause and effect, offer it as a sacrifice with your sword, and travel a thousand miles to retrieve a soul!]
Jiang Mu suddenly realized: "So that's how this woman used this thing to kill me remotely back in Yancheng."
This is good stuff.
He carefully read through it.
I have basically figured out the operating mechanism of this causal weapon.
This killing technique has many limitations.
First, you need to draw out a strong "resentment" towards the target as a trigger in order to lock onto them.
Secondly, there will be a cooling-off period after this procedure.
Most importantly, this sword manual requires either killing someone of lower cultivation level or killing a target of the same level who is already severely injured and on the verge of death.