Chapter 686 - 346: The Affectionate Empress
Chapter 686: Chapter 346: The Affectionate Empress
The massive body of the Tiger Boar charged towards Mo Xiaolan, and the surrounding black mist and Mane Arrows also shot at her simultaneously!
"This is the place."
Suddenly, a cold, clear voice sounded.
Accompanied by the sound of shattering, a crack appeared in the Isolation Array, and two figures entered the array.
One tall and burly, the other charmingly cool.
Mo Xiaolan said to them, "These three can transform into Hunting Cloud, Feiyu, and Tiger Boar. You two handle Hunting Cloud and Feiyu; I’ll hold off the Tiger Boar!"
Qin Gengyun saw Mo Xiaolan covered in blood; his face instantly turned sullen, and he said coldly, "Xiaolan, don’t move. Let me handle it!"
Suddenly, golden flames ignited on his body, and his eyes emitted a pale white glow, facing the Tiger Boar.
Taking advantage of the moment when the Tiger Boar’s body froze, the Heaven-Reaching Staff in Qin Gengyun’s hand lit up with an extraordinarily radiant light.
With the staff, he turned into a brilliant stream of light, shooting straight at the Tiger Boar!
The surrounding black mist surged, but was dispersed by the Divine Phoenix Flame on his body. Dozens of Mane Arrows flew and struck him, producing clanging sounds but failing to harm him in the slightest.
With a furious roar, the Tiger Boar broke free from the Soul Stabilizing control, but that incredibly concentrated light had already reached its face.
The pupils in those tiger eyes widened, and its paw rose to clash with that point of light!
Bang!
Amidst the wailing, the Tiger Boar’s left forepaw exploded, and it roared,
"Help me, quickly!"
Black mist surged, and hundreds of Mane Arrows also shot at the three of them.
The Tiger Boar retreated, its massive form quickly shrinking back to human shape, and then it disappeared.
"Damn!"
"You just left us and ran away?"
Two angry voices sounded from the black mist, Qiu Zhihe’s figure moved, already rushing into the mist, where soon screams were heard.
A moment later, the black mist dispersed, and Qiu Zhihe, dressed in red, stood gracefully.
At her feet lay the corpses of two cultivators.
Mo Xiaolan relaxed her mind, her body went soft and fell back, Qin Gengyun hurriedly caught her. Mo Xiaolan tried to struggle, but Qiu Zhihe suddenly said:
"Don’t be stubborn, let him hold you."
Mo Xiaolan was stunned to see Qiu Zhihe’s calm expression, not looking jealous or angry. Realizing the severity of her injuries, she couldn’t stand steadily and had to let Qin Gengyun’s large hand support her waist.
She lightly bit her lip, lowering her head, unsure if it was from shyness or guilt.
"Have you seen them before?"
Qiu Zhihe’s voice echoed in her ears, Mo Xiaolan looked up, but from such a distance, she couldn’t see the features of the two corpses clearly.
Qiu Zhihe nodded to Qin Gengyun, who hesitated slightly, then squatted down and actually lifted Mo Xiaolan up in his arms.
"Ah?"
Mo Xiaolan exclaimed softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around Qin Gengyun’s neck, but then felt it improper, quickly let go, making their posture somewhat awkward.
Qiu Zhihe glanced at her flushed face, a trace of a smile appearing in her cold eyes.
Carrying Mo Xiaolan closer, Qin Gengyun walked over, Mo Xiaolan looked down at the faces of the two corpses and shook her head:
"I don’t recognize them."
Qin Gengyun frowned, "Why do they want to kill you? Three Nascent Soul Cultivators who have cultivated the Celestial Beast Record, a Fourth Grade Isolation Array, such a huge setup. Xiaolan, have you made any significant enemies?"
Mo Xiaolan looked puzzled, "No, I haven’t."
Qiu Zhihe frowned with delicate brows, "This place is just a street away from the Western Emperor Palace. If it was truly a vendetta, they could have acted elsewhere."
Qin Gengyun’s face turned suddenly dark, "Lady, you’re saying..."
Qiu Zhihe waved her hand, putting the two corpses into a Storage Bag, erased the traces of battle on the ground, and dismantled the Isolation Array.
Soon, the sounds of street vendors and shopkeepers calling out and the voices of pedestrians talking filled the surrounding area.
Passersby glanced at the three of them, especially Qin Gengyun holding the lovely and vibrant Mo Xiaolan, drawing many comments:
"This girl is truly beautiful with an heroic aura, an absolute beauty!"
"The one beside her is a bit less beautiful, but her temperament is so endearing."
"Who is this man, being able to hold beauties in each arm?"
"Hugging such fair maidens in public, what a scoundrel!"
"Put me down." Mo Xiaolan said to Qin Gengyun, her face pale, gasping for breath.
Qiu Zhihe said, "You’re too badly injured, don’t speak."
Qin Gengyun, carrying Mo Xiaolan, quickly returned to Chang’an Palace with Qiu Zhihe.
Seeing this, others hurriedly came forward to greet them, Si Minglan holding Mo Xiaolan’s hand: "Xiaolan, who hurt you?"
Mo Xiaolan’s face showed a smile, "Third Elder Sister, congratulations on your success."
As she spoke, a trace of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth. Qin Gengyun hurriedly called to Liu Su: "Susu, quickly!"
"Got it!"
Liu Su quickly followed Qin Gengyun into the room. A moment later, Qin Gengyun came out, surrounded by everyone.
"Susu is using the Mist Spirit Eye to heal Xiaolan; she should be fine by tomorrow."
Si Minglan’s eyes sparkled, "You’re not going to help?"
Qin Gengyun said, "Now that Susu’s Mist Spirit Eye is different from before, she can handle it alone."
Fang Xue asked, "Who did it?"
Qin Gengyun shook his head, his face grim, as he recounted the events, leaving everyone astonished.
"Three Nascent Soul cultivators practicing the Celestial Beast Record, acting right outside the Western Emperor Palace, such a bold move, such nerve!"
"Hunting Cloud, Feiyu, Tiger Boar? These aren’t listed in the Celestial Fall Sect’s Celestial Beast Record?"
"Could it be there’s another sect with a cultivation technique for turning cultivators into Demonic Beasts?"
Qin Gengyun paused, slowly speaking, "I have thought of a place."
All the women looked at him, and a chill appeared in Qiu Zhihe’s eyes, while Jian Yue suddenly laughed softly:
"Immortal Flying Pavilion!"
"What?!"
Xu Caihe and Zhou Ling’Er’s eyes widened, almost fainting.
"I-Immortal Flying Pavilion?"
"Why would Immortal Flying Pavilion want to kill Lan Yin... Xiaolan?"
"It might not be the Pavilion’s intent, just someone using its power."
Si Minglan suddenly spoke, quieting the crowd, as Liu Su covered her mouth:
"Fox Spirit, do you mean..."
Si Minglan’s bewitching eyes flashed with a hint of killing intent, speaking coldly:
"Lin Yuan."
Qin Gengyun clenched his fists, staring at Mo Xiaolan’s blood on his clothes, his face grim and steady.
"Tomorrow, we’ll visit the Second Prince’s Mansion."
...
Western Emperor Palace.
Empress’s bedchamber.
"Senior Sister Lin, I’m sorry, we failed, and both junior brothers are dead."
The cultivator who became the Tiger Boar half-knelt before Lin Yuan, his left hand missing the palm, bloodied and pale.
Lin Yuan rose, gently lifting him from the ground:
"It’s alright, you’ve done enough."
"Thank you, Senior Sister Lin..."
The male cultivator’s words cut off as his body stiffened, slowly looking down at the emerald dagger piercing his chest, looking up at Lin Yuan’s beautiful face in disbelief:
"You, you..."
With a shake of the dagger in Lin Yuan’s hand, the male cultivator couldn’t even cry out before turning into a cloud of blood mist.
Lin Yuan’s eyes lifted slightly, the blood mist in the air dissipated into nothingness, not leaving a trace.
"The Emperor arrives."
As the voice of a palace maid announced from outside, Wu Zheng entered the bedchamber, Lin Yuan’s cold demeanor vanished, replaced with a gentle smile.
"Emperor, what brings you here today?"
Wu Zheng came forward, holding Lin Yuan’s hand: "Empress, my heart is restless tonight, only with you can I sleep soundly."
Lin Yuan smiled, "In that case, your concubine will accompany you to rest."
The two removed their outer garments and climbed onto the Phoenix Bed, the bed curtains gently swaying, and the bedchamber was warm and romantic, as if the previous bloody scene had never occurred.