novelraw Chapter 524 - 168: Beating You Until Your False Dragon Turns into a True Worm (Second Update)
Chapter 524 - 168: Beating You Until Your False Dragon Turns into a True Worm (Second Update)
Unexpectedly, Shang Zisu was pulled into the arms of the scarred man.
"Stop!"
"Let her go!"
The attempts of Lou Chuanbai and Mei Zizhong to intervene seemed utterly powerless. The blood-red stains on their lips and chests were glaring.
"Let go of me!"
Shang Zisu struggled desperately, but the man simply hoisted her onto his shoulder and walked out.
Seeing this, Fu Tianlong and Wei Qi stood up without thinking, but they were stopped by Wei Guanguan and Shui Ling. "What are you doing?"
Shui Ling and Wei Guanguan asked nervously.
Wei Qi said, "He is going to do something to Sister Shang..."
"Sister Shang is good friends with Mu Ge; we can’t just stand by." Fu Tianlong added.
"What can you do? Be rational!" Shui Ling exclaimed in a low voice.
The two were immediately speechless.
"Zisu—!" Lou Chuanbai shouted loudly, clutching his chest.
However, the man left the hall with Shang Zisu over his shoulder, laughing wildly, not even considering Hua Cangzhu.
Hua Cangzhu coldly watched Shang Zisu being taken away, enjoying Lou Chuanbai’s look of utter despair.
"Hua Cangzhu, you beast! Zisu is a disciple of the Medicine Tower. How can you, as the director, indulge such wolfish behavior!" Lou Chuanbai shouted at Hua Cangzhu.
However, Hua Cangzhu indifferently replied, "She’s not my disciple. This shows how foolish her choice was back then." He hadn’t forgotten that he had first picked Shang Zisu, who was eventually snatched away by Lou Chuanbai.
That insidious smile was exceedingly dazzling, making the Tower Guardian Elders grit their teeth, yet helpless.
As Shui Ling said, they were poisoned, their spiritual power dissipated, and were no better than crippled, charging in would only result in injury and wouldn’t change the fact that Shang Zisu was taken away.
"Cough, Master." Mei Zizhong, severely injured by a palm strike, coughed up blood with every cough. Unable to stand, he crawled to Lou Chuanbai’s side, supporting each other.
The Wei siblings and others couldn’t bear to watch any longer, rushing out from the crowd to help the master and disciple up from the ground, but unfortunately, had no elixir to heal them.
Moreover, without spiritual power, Lou Chuanbai and Mei Zizhong couldn’t even open their Qiankun bags.
"Master Lou, Senior Brother Mei, are you alright?" Wei Qi asked with concern.
Lou Chuanbai gritted his teeth and shook his head.
For the first time, a cold gleam appeared in Mei Zizhong’s previously calm eyes. He looked at Hua Cangzhu and rebuked, "Release Sister Shang. I’m ready to face death or torture!"
Hua Cangzhu sneered dismissively, looking more and more pleased with himself: "Is there no one clever among you? Or are you not afraid of death?"
Under his threat, more people stumbled out of the hall, trembling as they knelt outside.
...
"It’s indeed nice under the big tree!" Successfully avoiding the layers of guards outside the Medicine Tower, Zhao Nanxing gave a thumbs up to Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge smiled faintly, looked into the depths of the white mist in the forest, and frowned without speaking.
"What’s wrong?" Zhao Nanxing asked.
"It’s too quiet." The answer came from Xia Tianwu, instead of Mu Qingge.
Perhaps due to the difference in realm cultivation, Zhao Nanxing was only in the Green Realm, while Mu Qingge and Xia Tianwu were in the Purple Realm and Blue Realm, respectively. Thus, they seemed to sense a hint of unusual atmosphere mixed in the air.
"Too quiet?" Zhao Nanxing looked around in confusion. "It’s still quite a distance from the courtyard; normally, no one would be patrolling here, so it’s usually quite quiet."
Mu Qingge looked at him and suddenly asked, "Brother Zhao, with the only road to the Branch being blocked, is the courtyard really unaware?"
Zhao Nanxing’s eyes suddenly shrank, and he said solemnly, "Are you suggesting that the courtyard is already out of control?"
He used the term ’out of control,’ but his tone was extremely grave. The implication was clear: if the courtyard was indeed in trouble as they thought, then anything could happen.
"Let’s move quickly!" Zhao Nanxing said to Mu Qingge.
Mu Qingge nodded, and the three quickly headed toward the Medicine Tower Branch.
"If things inside are as we suspect, the main entrance might not be an easy route." Xia Tianwu turned to Mu Qingge, raising a question.
Mu Qingge nodded and said to Zhao Nanxing, "Brother Zhao, you are the most familiar with the Medicine Tower among us. Do you know of any other ways to infiltrate the courtyard?"
Infiltrate...
Zhao Nanxing pondered, pursed his lips, then looked up at Mu Qingge and Xia Tianwu, saying, "There is indeed a small path to enter, but..."
Stopping short, Zhao Nanxing only fully explained when Mu Qingge saw the so-called path with her own eyes.
"A dog hole!" Mu Qingge exclaimed, pointing at a dilapidated hole at the base of the wall, looking at Zhao Nanxing.
Zhao Nanxing showed a moment of awkwardness and explained, "It’s not really a dog hole. It’s from a collapse that was never repaired."
Mu Qingge and Xia Tianwu couldn’t help but smile wryly.
"Let’s go." Mu Qingge flicked her sleeves and said.
"Hold on." Xia Tianwu suddenly raised a hand to stop them.
Mu Qingge looked at him with curiosity in her eyes.
Zhao Nanxing also asked, "What is it, Elder Xia?"
Xia Tianwu mused for a moment, then spoke, "Once we’re inside, let’s split up to see what’s going on before taking any rash actions. Then, at an agreed time and place, we’ll meet to discuss how to resolve the situation."
This plan met no objections from Mu Qingge and Zhao Nanxing.
The three quickly distributed their directions for action.
Since Xia Tianwu was the least familiar with the Branch, he headed to the three towers within the courtyard. After all, the three towers in the Branch were almost identical to those in the Main Courtyard. For the remaining areas, Zhao Nanxing went to the alchemy area and parts where some disciples resided, while Mu Qingge covered the rest.
After agreeing, the three entered through the ’dog hole’ one after another, infiltrating the Medicine Tower Branch.
Once inside, they immediately split up, agreeing to meet at the Spiritual Consciousness Tower in one hour, as it was the least likely place to have people.
...
"Let go of me!" Shang Zisu’s struggle seemed utterly futile.
Her spiritual power was scattered by the poison in her body; now she was no different from an ordinary woman. How could she possibly succeed in resisting?
"To think there would be such a top-grade prey here!" The scarred man grinned viciously, his eyes blatantly filled with lechery.
He kicked open the door forcefully and carried Shang Zisu into an empty room.
Judging by the surroundings, it was unclear whose quarters they were.
The wooden bed in the room was the man’s target. He carried Shang Zisu to the bedside and tossed her onto the bedding.
The sudden drop left Shang Zisu’s chest heaving and her arm aching. She lay on the bed, lifting her icy face to look at the demon-like man in front of her, lips tightly pressed. She didn’t speak any further, but the resoluteness in her eyes was unmistakable.
"Stop looking at me like that." The man grabbed her chin with one hand, pulling her to him with a tone full of cold malice.
Suddenly, the man extended his slobbery tongue, licking Shang Zisu’s face, savoring the taste with closed eyes.
This act made Shang Zisu’s breath hitch, her eyes widened, anger blazing in her gaze, her body rigid and numb. When had she ever been humiliated like this?
The most hateful part was that she didn’t even have the strength to fight back!
"Delicious!" the man remarked with relish.
He opened his eyes, his gaze on Shang Zisu becoming even more aggressive.
Shang Zisu suppressed the revulsion in her heart, staring at him with a warning: "If you dare force me, I would rather die than submit!"
Smack—!
Shang Zisu was slapped onto the bed, her face burning with pain, swelling rapidly. Blood trickled from the corner of her mouth.
"You dare threaten me!" the man snarled viciously.
His expression was ferocious, murderous intent brimming. It seemed he might kill Shang Zisu at any moment!
Shang Zisu gritted her teeth, hatred surging in her cool eyes, an overwhelming fear hidden within. She feared, truly feared that her chastity would be destroyed by this demon before her. How could she face the world then?
"Let me tell you something. If you serve me well, once my great ambition is fulfilled, you might even become the queen of my harem! But if you’re unwise, after I’ve finished with you, I’ll give you to my subordinates. They’re like ravenous wolves!"
The man’s cruel words made Shang Zisu’s body tremble.
If that’s really the case, she would rather die right now!
Suddenly, a resolve of death was reflected in Shang Zisu’s eyes. She climbed from the bed and rushed toward the wall.
But before she could reach it, she felt her hair being yanked forcefully, her entire body thrown back again, landing on the bed once more.
"Ah—!" Shang Zisu exclaimed in pain.
"Bitch, want to die?" The man suddenly lunged forward, pinning Shang Zisu down firmly.
He knelt on top of Shang Zisu, tugging at his own clothes, revealing his rugged muscles while forcing Shang Zisu to look at him, his expression violent. "Bitch, if you want to die, serve me well before you die!"
"Beast! Let go of me!" Shang Zisu struggled desperately, but to no avail, only arousing more interest in the man.
Tear—!
Shang Zisu felt a chill at her chest, as cold wind rushed in.
Her gaze swept across, seeing her neckline being roughly torn apart by the man, revealing her snow-white skin.
Her face turned pale, her eyes filled with despair as she was enveloped and plunged into a bottomless abyss.
"So white! So fragrant!" The man was overwhelmed by the sight of milky skin, uttering a sentence in intoxication, lowering his head to greedily suck upon Shang Zisu’s neck...
The nauseating scent lingered at the tip of the nose; the man’s proximity caused Shang Zisu’s entire body to stiffen.
Her limbs were tightly restrained, leaving not even a shred of resistance, forced to submit to the man’s actions.
’No! No! No!’
Shang Zisu cried out ceaselessly in her heart, tears of humiliation trickling down from the corners of her eyes, seeping into her hair.
She swore that if she survived, she would definitely tear to pieces the man who degraded her with endless humiliation!
Hatred shone from the depths of her eyes.
’We are disciples of the Medicine Tower, why not use poison?’ The words Mu Qingge once said suddenly flashed in Shang Zisu’s mind. At this moment, she felt deep regret.
She should have listened to Mu Qingge’s words earlier, hiding poison on herself, perhaps in her nails, scattering poison powder on her clothes, avoiding the predicament she faced now.
Poison, she had.
But she had kept them in her Qiankun Bag for contingencies.
And now, having lost her spiritual power, unable to open the Qiankun Bag, how could she retrieve the poison inside to protect herself?
’Am I to be humiliated here today? Mu Junior Brother, where are you...’ Shang Zisu perceived the crude breathing emerging from beside her ear, closing her eyes in anguish and despair.
...
’Who are these people...’
Mu Qingge concealed herself behind the tree house, observing those uniquely dressed patrol individuals.
These people were obviously not from the Medicine Tower. Yet their attire was unified, each with an identical emblem embroidered on their chests, seemingly originating from the same place.
Judging by their expressions and gestures, it appeared they were people who lived life by licking blood off the knife edge.
Fortunately, the strength of these people was not particularly high.
In Mu Qingge’s view, their abilities were somewhat uneven. In a patrol team, there were those from Yellow Realm as well as Red Realm, with the leader as a Yellow Realm Peak.
Mu Qingge thought for a moment, then silently abducted a person who was lagging behind when the patrol group passed by.
The person abruptly abducted was about to shout when he felt a sharp, pointed dagger pressed against the vital spot of his neck.
"Who are you?" A cold inquiry came from behind, as if not cooperating would lead to a throat slit.
The captive dared not shout out again, being merely of Yellow Realm Initial Rank, how could he withstand Mu Qingge’s imposing aura? Stuttering, he said, "We are from Jing Sect."
Jing Sect?
Mu Qingge furrowed her brows, completely unfamiliar.
"What have you come to the Medicine Tower for?" Mu Qingge did not delve into the background of these people, directly addressing the main topic.
"I... I don’t know either. We are following the Sect Leader’s orders, doing whatever he instructs..." The captive said with a hint of crying.
This answer did not satisfy Mu Qingge.
Her expression grew several degrees colder. She continued asking, "What happened to the Medicine Tower?"
"All... all of them were captured and poisoned by Hua Courtyard Head, locked away in the great hall over there..." The captive hesitantly revealed all he knew.
’Hua Cangzhu!’
Mu Qingge’s eyes squinted slightly, as a cold gleam suddenly appeared in her eye slits.
"Your numbers, your strength." Mu Qingge inquired again.
"We... we have four hundred people here; most are of Yellow Realm, Green Realm, with a few in Green Realm and Blue Realm. Our Sect Leader is a Purple Realm extraordinary expert. There are still six to seven hundred people outside in Sangzhi City." In order to survive, the captive cooperated exceedingly well.
Mu Qingge listened, her gaze growing colder; such strength, no wonder they dared to covet the Medicine Tower.
It’s likely that Hua Cangzhu cooperated with them because their strength within the Third-class Country was already quite formidable.
"What else do you know?" Mu Qingge asked sternly.
"I... I don’t know anything else... The Sect Leader plans to lead us to unify the Third-class Country... I really don’t know anything more..." The captive replied in panic.
’Unify the Third-class Country?’ Mu Qingge mocked with a cold laugh.
Suddenly, she chopped the captive’s neck, directly severing his qi channel, cutting off his life.
Afterward, she proceeded toward the great hall where people were held.
She indeed didn’t know there lay such ambitious individuals hiding within the Third-class Country, aiming to unify the entire Third-class Country. Just how competent were they?
And Hua Cangzhu, what role did he play in this?
With Mu Qingge’s speed, no one could possibly detect her.
The deeper she went, the more disciples of the Jing Sect she found. Their strength was also somewhat higher than those encountered earlier.
Especially around the great hall, where more than two hundred people were guarding, almost half of Jing Sect’s members within the Medicine Tower. Among them, a Blue Realm Middle Rank individual was stationed.
When Mu Qingge arrived, she happened to see some Medicine Tower disciples being escorted away by Jing Sect members following Hua Cangzhu.
Mu Qingge refrained from stepping forward to stop them, waited until they drifted far away and then made her way to the great hall.
The Jing Sect members guarding the great hall posed no threat to Mu Qingge. She quietly reached the entrance of the hall, glanced at those Jing Sect disciples facing away from her, then pushed the tightly closed door open a slit, sneaking inside.
Upon her appearance, everyone within the hall bore expressions of shock in their eyes.
"Mu Junior Brother!"
"Mu Senior Brother!"
Voices of surprise echoed but all controlled their volumes out of mutual understanding.
Mu Qingge gestured for silence, swiftly finding the Wei siblings, along with Shui Ling and Fu Tianlong among the crowd.
However, as she clearly saw those held within their arms, her eyes shrank instantly, swiftly cast with a layer of frosty chill.
In a flash, she reached directly in front of them.
"Mu Ge, you finally came! Boohoo!" Seeing Mu Qingge, Wei Guanguan cried out in excitement.
Mu Qingge quickly took the pulse of the unconscious Lou Chuanbai and Mei Zizhong, lifting her gaze to ask Wei Qi: "What happened?"
"It’s done by the person Hua Cangzhu brought! Seems like that person’s no small figure!" Wei Qi said through gritted teeth.
Mu Qingge’s brows slightly knitted, sensing poison intertwined within Lou Chuanbai and Mei Zizhong’s body along with severe internal injuries.
Swiftly extracting two vials of medicine from her bosom, Mu Qingge poured out two pills, instructing Wei Qi and Fu Tianlong to administer them.
Then, she drew out three more bottles of elixir, adding them to the previous one, handing them to Shui Ling, directing: "The elixirs inside can detoxify, distribute them for everyone to consume."
Shui Ling acted immediately, many disciples rose to assist, their mutual understanding effectively reducing the noise output, wary of alerting the guards outside.
After Shui Ling distributed the medicine bottles, she took one and ran to the Tower Guardian Elders to detoxify them.
Mu Qingge surveyed the group, instructing: "Currently, enemies outnumber us. After detoxifying, stay here, waiting for the opportunity to act. Zhao Senior Brother has already dispatched reinforcements, and Elder Xia from the Main Courtyard is here, so don’t worry, you will be safe."
"Really! That’s great!"
"We’re saved!"
"We’re saved now!"
A few Tower Guardian Elders swallowed the Detoxification Pills, feeling the sensation of spiritual power stagnation dissipate gradually, finally relaxing. One of them stood up, bowing slightly to Mu Qingge, asking: "When will the troops from Yu Country arrive?"
Mu Qingge replied: "At least two more days."
This answer brought a wave of panic among those within the great hall again.
Mu Qingge furrowed her brow.
The Tower Guardian Elder lamented: "Today marks the final deadline given by Hua Cangzhu, the traitor. If no one submits to him today, he will let those outside come in and kill everyone."
Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed with cold light, her gaze becoming a few degrees sharper.
Today...
Mu Qingge made a calculation in her heart, and a decision gradually formed within her.
"Mu Ge, you need to go save Sister Shang!" Suddenly, Wei Qi stood up abruptly and said to Mu Qingge.
Shang Zisu?
Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, quickly scanning the crowd, indeed not seeing the figure of Shang Zisu.
"What happened to her?" Mu Qingge asked in a deep voice, a bad feeling rising in her heart.
"She’s been taken by that person colluding with Hua Cangzhu. If we don’t go quickly, I’m afraid... I’m afraid..." Wei Qi’s expression was anxious, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.
He was worried for Shang Zisu’s safety, yet angry at his own inability to rescue her.
Mu Qingge’s eyes widened, and a bone-chilling killing intent surged from her gaze.
Boom—!
The door was violently blown open as if hit by a strong wind.
The guards outside turned to check but found nothing. The people in the main hall also seemed unperturbed, still glaring at them with hate-filled eyes.
With a disdainful snort, they closed the door again and stood guard outside.
As soon as Mu Qingge left, the unconscious Lou Chuanbai and Mei Zizhong coughed a few times and slowly regained consciousness.
Their awakening brought a gleam to the eyes of Wei Qi and the others.
"Master Lou, Brother Mei, you’re awake!" Wei Qi hurriedly said.
"Zisu... Zisu..." As soon as Lou Chuanbai woke up, he was concerned about the kidnapped Shang Zisu.
Wei Guanguan quickly said, "Master Lou, Sister Shang will be fine. Mu Ge has already gone to save her."
"What! She’s... she’s here?" Mei Zizhong struggled to stand, exclaiming in shock.
Wei Guanguan nodded vigorously, "Not only is Mu Ge here, but Brother Zhao is also here, and I hear elders from the main courtyard have come too. Mu Ge detoxified us, and we’re fine now."
"Good, good, good..." Lou Chuanbai repeated the word ’good’ three times, tears of relief rolling down his old cheeks.
But without seeing Shang Zisu safe with his own eyes, he couldn’t truly relax.
...
’Where? Where exactly?’ Mu Qingge desperately released her spiritual sense to search for Shang Zisu’s whereabouts. Any place without people was immediately dismissed. In places with people, she quickly went to check, and if not, she promptly turned around, not daring to lose a single second.
Suddenly, her gaze sharpened with a thin layer of anger, and she swiftly rushed towards a disciple’s lodging not far ahead.
In the room, Shang Zisu’s clothes were already torn to shreds, her body covered with purplish-red bite marks. She lay there in despair, lifeless, her eyes filled with emptiness and hatred.
The man who had humiliated her was still on top of her, tugging at her pants.
Suddenly, she felt a coolness on her leg, and from the corner of her eye, she saw her pure white undergarments contemptuously discarded by the man.
"Hahahahaha—!"
The disgusting, arrogant laughter ignited the hatred in Shang Zisu’s eyes.
Just as the man was about to proceed, the tightly shut door was suddenly burst open—
"Who is it!" The man quickly pulled up his pants and turned to face the intruder.
However, before he could see the figure clearly, he felt a powerful force coming straight at him, unexpectedly hitting his face and chest.
That massive and terrifying force carried him directly out of the treehouse, throwing him far away...
Having temporarily dealt with the enemy, Mu Qingge looked at Shang Zisu, lying on the disheveled bedding like a lifeless doll. Seeing her almost naked body, her eyes reddened with cold fury.
Quickly taking out a cloak from her space, Mu Qingge covered Shang Zisu with it, picked her up, and held her in her arms.
"Sister Shang, Sister Shang... I’m sorry I was late..." Mu Qingge’s gaze swept over the marks on Shang Zisu’s body, unsure of what to say.
As a fellow woman, she could understand the despair and pain Shang Zisu had just endured.
That person... whoever he is, should die!
Mu Qingge squinted her eyes dangerously, killing intent sharp as a knife within her gaze.
"Sister Shang, it’s me." Mu Qingge looked down at Shang Zisu, who was like a puppet, speaking as gently as possible.
But Shang Zisu still didn’t respond. Her body simply trembled, her eyes hollow, not even looking at Mu Qingge.
Was it fear, anger, or shame?
In that moment, Mu Qingge couldn’t feel Shang Zisu’s true thoughts.
Having rescued Shang Zisu, the previous plan was now disrupted. Mu Qingge took out a signal flare, quickly firing a purple-red signal through the broken gap.
Whoosh—!
The signal shot up to the sky, exploding above.
Zhao Nanxing and Xia Tianwu, who had infiltrated the Medicine Tower, saw it. The Medicine Tower disciples and elders detained in the main hall saw it. The Dragon Tooth Guards and the Thousand Fierce Army, who had hastily arrived and were operating nearby after receiving Mu Qingge’s message via Xia Tianwu’s flying beast, also saw it.
This was the signal for assault!
"Seems like something’s happened, let’s accelerate our actions!"
The captain of the Dragon Tooth Guards, upon seeing the signal, swiftly made the correct decision.
Fifty Dragon Tooth Guards, along with the two hundred rapidly advancing Thousand Fierce Army soldiers, quickly headed towards the Medicine Tower Branch. The Jing Sect members defending the perimeter were immediately chained by the Thousand Fierce Army, allowing the fifty Dragon Tooth Guards to rush into the Medicine Tower Branch without engaging in prolonged battle.
After releasing the signal flare, Mu Qingge detoxified Shang Zisu and used her spiritual power to guide Zisu’s own spiritual power flow, taking a new outfit from her Qiankun Bag and dressing her.
Once dressed, apart from Shang Zisu’s wooden expression, there was no visible abnormality.
However, the mental trauma could not be healed in a short time.
Mu Qingge carried her quickly away from the treehouse.
...
"Jing Wudi! There are intruders, what are your people doing?"
The man who had been punched by Mu Qingge and furiously sought the enemy had yet to return to the scene when Hua Cangzhu, with a somber face, intercepted him.
Jing Wudi’s eyes were fierce, his tone cold, "Whoever dares come, kill them!"
Then, narrowing his eyes, he said to Hua Cangzhu, "Inform those in Sangzhi City to start their assault."
Hua Cangzhu nodded grimly.
He took out a Spirit Bird from his sleeve and released it.
"What now?" Hua Cangzhu asked.
The scar on Jing Wudi’s face twitched slightly, his gaze sinister as he said, "I need to find someone."
"Someone? Who are you looking for at a time like this?" Hua Cangzhu exclaimed in discontent.
Jing Wudi coldly glanced at him, his eyes filled with cruelty, "Who dares ruin my plans must be ready to pay with their life."
With that, he completely ignored Hua Cangzhu, his figure a blur as he headed towards the previous treehouse.
By the time he arrived at the treehouse, Mu Qingge and Shang Zisu were nowhere to be seen.
Mu Qingge returned to the main hall with Shang Zisu. The place was already in chaos; upon seeing her signal, everyone in the hall rushed out to clash with the Jing Sect members.
The Medicine Tower’s Tower Guardian Elders were all in the Blue Realm, but having just been detoxified, their bodies were still somewhat weak, and they needed to protect the more spiritually weak disciples, leading to a stalemate between both sides.
Additional Jing Sect patrols continuously joined the fight, increasing the pressure on the Medicine Tower’s side.
Mu Qingge frowned slightly and released Yin Chen.
With Yin Chen’s addition, the pressure on the Medicine Tower’s side finally eased. Lou Chuanbai and Mei Zizhong could free themselves to join Mu Qingge and Shang Zisu.
"Zisu..." Lou Chuanbai looked at Shang Zisu with worry, noting her puppet-like state, and his heart ached as he turned to Mu Qingge, "Zisu, she..."
"Master! Senior Brother! Zisu..." Before Mu Qingge could respond, Zhao Nanxing’s voice came through.
Beside him was Xia Tianwu.
Overcoming the obstructing Jing Sect disciples, the two rushed directly to where Mu Qingge and the others were.
Zhao Nanxing immediately saw Shang Zisu cradled in Mu Qingge’s arms, his eyes narrowing as he asked, "What’s wrong with Zisu?"
"What’s happening now?" Xia Tianwu also quickly asked.
When he saw Yin Chen, he was shocked, not knowing where such a powerful spirit beast had come from, and why it was helping the people of the Medicine Tower fend off enemies.
Mu Qingge did not answer their questions, instead handing Shang Zisu over to Zhao Nanxing.
However, the puppet-like Shang Zisu suddenly clutched tightly onto Mu Qingge’s clothes, as if terrified of her leaving. Her empty eyes showed fear and panic.
"Zisu!" Zhao Nanxing’s outstretched hands froze momentarily, his eyes filled with endless heartache.
Shang Zisu’s reaction, combined with Mu Qingge and the others’ evasion, seemed to reveal the answer to him.
Mu Qingge felt Shang Zisu’s reliance on her, but still bowed her head and said to her, "Senior Sister Shang, don’t be afraid. Master, Senior Brother Mei, and Senior Brother Zhao are all here. We will all protect you. Wait for me, I will capture that person for you, so you can take revenge!"
Revenge! Revenge!
Upon hearing the word ’revenge’, Shang Zisu’s eyes seemed to come alive. Those once cold and desireless eyes were now filled with hatred.
Such eyes made one’s heart ache.
Shang Zisu finally let go of her hands, allowing Zhao Nanxing to take her body. However, when she touched Zhao Nanxing, she couldn’t help but tremble slightly with fear.
Feeling the slight trembling from her body, Zhao Nanxing felt an unbearable heartache.
At this moment, he didn’t know what words could comfort Shang Zisu. He could only look at Mu Qingge and say, "Junior Brother Mu, make sure to bring that person here."
Mu Qingge nodded heavily, and his figure disappeared before their eyes.
The battle between the Medicine Tower and the Jing Sect continued, but Lou Chuanbai, Mei Zizhong, and Zhao Nanxing withdrew from the fight, firmly protecting Shang Zisu.
Not long after, the Dragon Tooth Guards arrived, joining the battle, causing the Jing Sect to retreat in successive defeats.
Xia Tianwu searched around but did not find any trace of Hua Cangzhu.
"Elder Xia, we are no longer needed here. Let’s join you in finding that traitor Hua Cangzhu!" The Tower Guardian Elders from the branch walked up to Xia Tianwu and said to him.
Xia Tianwu nodded, leading several elders to search for Hua Cangzhu’s trace.
At this time, Mu Qingge had already encountered Jing Wudi, who was searching for her everywhere.
"Is it you who sabotaged my plans?" Jing Wudi looked at Mu Qingge disdainfully.
Mu Qingge looked at him with a cold expression and said indifferently, "Being able to enter the Purple Realm does give you a reason to be arrogant. Unfortunately, today you will become a homeless dog at my hands."
"Arrogant brat!" Jing Wudi glared, his gaze viciously fixed on her. "I will capture you, skin you, tear you apart, and feed you to the dogs!"
Mu Qingge stood with her hands behind her back, looking at him coldly.
Suddenly, a vast and overwhelming aura burst out from her body, crashing towards Jing Wudi. "Has anyone ever told you that there is a chasm between the Initial Rank and Middle Rank of the Purple Realm?"
"Puff!" Jing Wudi was crushed by Mu Qingge’s aura, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
His face changed, looking at her in disbelief, "You are at the Middle Rank of the Purple Realm!"
Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed, and her momentum suddenly increased, pressing down on Jing Wudi until his bones ’crackled’, veins bulged on his muscles, and his skin turned purplish-red.
He gritted his teeth, struggling to withstand Mu Qingge’s pressure, his bloodshot eyes fiercely staring at her.
"Do you think you are a True Dragon?" Mu Qingge said dismissively. Her figure flashed, appearing in front of Jing Wudi. As he stared at her in shock, she punched, shattering his jawbone.
"Puff——!"
Jing Wudi tilted his head back, spewing fragments of teeth enveloped in blood.
"You dare to humiliate my senior sister?"
Crack!
The sound of a bone cracking echoed as Mu Qingge dislocated Jing Wudi’s left arm.
Crack!
His right arm was dislocated.
Crack!
His left leg bone was crushed underfoot.
Crack!
His right leg bone was crushed underfoot.
"Aaaaaah——! I will kill you——!" Jing Wudi cried out in pain.
"Want to try my poison?" Mu Qingge coldly curled her lips, swiftly forcing a pill into Jing Wudi’s mouth.
Jing Wudi was shocked and pale, "What did you make me swallow?!"
"Feel it carefully. Relax, it won’t kill you." Mu Qingge’s icy eyes narrowed, her lips hinting at a cruel smile.
"Ah—! Ah—! My spiritual power—!" Jing Wudi felt his spiritual power rapidly draining, a pain like thousands of ants biting at him.
Purple Realm, Blue Realm Peak, Blue Realm High Rank, Blue Realm Middle Rank, Blue Realm Initial Rank, Green Realm Peak... Green Realm Initial Rank, Yellow Realm Peak...
In an instant, Jing Wudi’s spiritual power cultivation plummeted to the Red Realm.
His body also rapidly aged; his black hair turned dull gray, his skin and muscles shrank and collapsed, and his eyes became clouded, like an elderly man at twilight.
Yet, this scene lasted only a moment. His flesh and blood quickly became full once more, although his skin turned dark red, appearing as if many tiny insects were stirring beneath the surface.
It was as though his fullness at this moment was due to these insects.
"Ah—!" Jing Wudi fell to the ground in agony, rolling around incessantly.
With his Purple Realm cultivation, he shouldn’t have been rendered powerless against Mu Qingge. It was his initial complacency that allowed Mu Qingge to seize the opportunity, overpowering him in aura and rendering him unable to resist.
Moreover, Mu Qingge’s cultivation was already higher than his, her body incomparably stronger, leaving him only to suffer a beating.
Mu Qingge’s actions were swift, within a few exchanges rendering Jing Wudi begging for death.
Jing Wudi was already useless, the Jing Sect’s men reduced to a rabble, no longer resisting fiercely, only thinking of escaping.
But with the Thousand Fierce Army outside, where could they flee to?
The ragtag forces gathered in Sangzhi City intended to take action upon receiving Hua Cangzhu’s message. But the Yu Country’s military arrived just in time.
It turned out, the guard sent to mobilize troops luckily encountered a training army on the way from the camp headed towards Sangzhi City. He decided immediately, redirecting these troops, saving much time along the way.
In the Medicine Tower, Mu Qingge appeared before the crowd carrying Jing Wudi like a dead dog, tossing him directly in front of Shang Zisu.
"It’s him!" Zhao Nanxing’s eyes seemed to spew fire, eager to pounce and tear Jing Wudi to pieces.
At this moment, Shang Zisu slowly stood up woodenly, reaching out to Zhao Nanxing, "Give me the knife."
Zhao Nanxing paused, eyes filled with pain but still fulfilled her request, handing the dagger to her.
Shang Zisu grasped the dagger tightly, slowly approaching Jing Wudi.
Jing Wudi grinned hideously, his gaze at Shang Zisu still carrying an invasive feel that made her nauseous.
Shang Zisu’s eyes turned red, pouring out her hatred.
She screamed, clenched the dagger with both hands, and drove it fiercely into Jing Wudi’s body.
She shouted and knelt, stabbing the dagger in her hands into Jing Wudi relentlessly. The blood spurting from the wounds splattered on her clothes, hands, face, and hair, yet did not make her retreat a bit.
It seemed as if the humiliation she bore could only be cleansed by this man’s blood.
Mu Qingge and others stood beside her. Wei Qi and his group joined in, all remaining silent, not stopping her frenzy, letting her vent.
Jing Wudi died, and in a manner he felt humiliated. His eyes wide open, seemingly not at peace.
His flesh had long been torn apart by Shang Zisu, yet she did not stop, tirelessly continuing to stab...
After a while, Zhao Nanxing finally couldn’t bear it, rushing forward to hug Shang Zisu’s blood-soaked body, whispering in her ear, "Enough, Zisu. Enough, enough... don’t torture yourself anymore because of this person..."
However, Shang Zisu remained oblivious, continuously repeating her actions.
Mu Qingge sighed inwardly, stepped forward to chop at the back of Shang Zisu’s neck, making her faint.
Zhao Nanxing held Shang Zisu tightly, looked up at Mu Qingge, eyes full of gratitude.
Mu Qingge looked at Lou Chuanbai’s pained and forlorn expression, finally responding to his prior question, "Rest assured, Master, I arrived in time."
Yes, she arrived in time, preventing Shang Zisu from enduring the final harm, preserving her integrity. But do the previous humiliations she suffered not count?
Now, she could only comfort those blaming themselves because of Shang Zisu.
...
"Hua Cangzhu! Where do you think you’re running?"
Attempting to flee amidst the chaos with his disciples, Hua Cangzhu was ultimately blocked at the entrance of the Hidden Pill Tower...