“Where are the people?” Mr. Liu asked coldly.
A staggering general who resembled a Myriad Commander rose and said, “Your Majesty, Zheng Yong was captured by them! We tracked them for over a hundred li, all the way to the lower reaches of the Muzat River Valley, but lost their trail.”
“You bastard—!” Mr. Liu roared in fury. Xiang Xian wisely rolled aside. Sure enough, Mr. Liu flew into a rage without even lifting a hand; several Stone Coffins shattered to pieces, and the lead War Dead Corpse Ghost was flung into a corner. The enormous flower bud at the edge of the cave wall bloomed instantly like a demon, engulfing the War Dead Corpse Ghost Myriad Commander.
Xiang Xian: “!!!”
The underground palace filled with the stench of corpses as the Corpse Ghost Myriad Commander wailed endlessly, while his subordinates remained expressionless.
That sounded painful. Better stay away from that thing later… Xiang Xian thought. But War Dead Corpse Ghosts felt pain? Weren’t the Hanba clan fearless even with broken limbs?
In no time, the Corpse-Eating Flower devoured the Corpse Ghost Myriad Commander completely and began digesting him.
Mr. Liu: “Did you see that? What do you think?”
Xiang Xian: “You’re insane! Who keeps a flower in their palace that eats their own people?!”
A slender Horizontal Flute appeared in Mr. Liu’s hand. He pointed it in a certain direction, and a faint sound emanated from the flute’s holes. The targeted Stone Coffin opened, releasing another War Dead Corpse Ghost that knelt on one knee before Mr. Liu, silently taking the place of the devoured general.
Xiang Xian: “Looks like it’s survival of the fittest here too.”
A humming sound filled the underground palace as a massive illusory gate unfolded in the center above. Faint illusory scenery was visible within the gate.
Xiang Xian retreated behind the steps immediately, knowing the real boss had finally arrived. Mr. Liu had held back on him earlier, waiting for the subordinates who went to capture Chaosheng. Now, Mr. Liu’s superior had come to inspect.
He prepared himself for an all-out escape attempt. Though he did not know the extent of the opponent’s abilities, without the Wisdom Sword in hand, he would likely be taken away.
Yet the one who appeared was not the so-called King Mu, at least not by appearance.
From within the illusory gate emerged a battered figure resembling Mr. Liu—a Demon Person—but with half its body missing. Xiang Xian vaguely remembered that during the Heart Lamp seizure, Xiao Kun had struck it with his full power at the end. This was “Mr. Ying”!
“Where are the people?” Mr. Ying said gravely.
“Where is the Heavenly Sovereign?” Mr. Liu did not rise from his seat and said coldly, “Why did they send you?”
“The Heavenly Sovereign is recuperating and sent me to retrieve the person and the Wisdom Sword.” Mr. Ying floated in midair, his gaze turning toward Xiang Xian.
“The sword hasn’t been obtained yet. Once it is, I’ll send it along,” Mr. Liu said flatly. “Your task was the Heart Lamp. You have no right to give me orders.”
Qin Shi Huang and Han Wu Ti not getting along was normal… Xiang Xian guessed he was safe for the moment and relaxed his vigilance slightly. These recreated ancient emperors seemed domineering but had suffered repeated defeats without accomplishing much.
Mr. Ying added, “The Heavenly Sovereign stipulated three days. When the time comes, you know what to do. We can’t wait any longer.”
“No need for your reminder.” Mr. Liu remained seated on the War Dead Corpse Ghosts’ Throne, legs crossed, not even glancing at Mr. Ying.
Mr. Ying drifted slightly toward Xiang Xian, who did not retreat. Mr. Ying scanned him from head to toe.
A deafening boom shook the air, making Xiang Xian’s ears ring painfully as the illusory gate and Mr. Ying vanished together.
From this, Xiang Xian learned that the Demon King’s forces were not monolithic—there might be opportunities to exploit later. He turned toward Mr. Liu, but Mr. Liu stood up. In that instant, illusory armor formed over his martial robes, layer upon layer, until a helmet clanged down, covering his face.
Mr. Liu descended the steps with a mere gesture of his hand. The underground palace resounded with uniform thuds as all Stone Coffin lids opened simultaneously. The War Dead Corpse Ghosts flickered, bathed in Ghost Fire, and vanished one after another.
Mr. Liu did not even glance back at Xiang Xian. Blue flames ignited around him, and he was teleported away into the air.
A little earlier, in the depths of the great desert.
After the sandstorm subsided, the desert restored its canopy of brilliant starlight.
Xiao Kun, Jing Pian Ge, Chaosheng, Wu Yingzong, and Hulü Guang formed a circle. Xiao Kun shook the Demon-Suppressing Banner, releasing Zheng Yong.
Zheng Yong tumbled and crawled, crashing to the ground. As he rose instinctively to flee, he suddenly spotted Jing Pian Ge.
“General Jing??” Zheng Yong was shocked and staggered back, only for Wu Yingzong to shove him from behind.
Zheng Yong returned to the center, trembling uncontrollably.
Jing Pian Ge said calmly, “You’re Zheng Yong, right? I remember you. Three hundred years ago, you served in the Divine Palace.”
“Y-Yes…” Zheng Yong was clearly terrified of Jing Pian Ge. Being captured in the Demon-Suppressing Banner seemed trivial in his presence. He replied, “After Mr. Liu arrived, this lowly one… was transferred to serve by his side as a military advisor.”
“Hm.” Jing Pian Ge said, “Were you a strategist in life?”
“F-Forgotten…” Zheng Yong knelt on the ground, not daring to look up at Jing Pian Ge.
“From now on,” Jing Pian Ge’s tone remained calm, “I ask a question, you answer. No tricks.”
“Yes.” Zheng Yong shook uncontrollably.
