Chapter 216 - 149: Chang’an, Safe and Sound

Chapter 216: Chapter 149: Chang’an, Safe and Sound

The Capital City of the Wei Kingdom was called Chang’an.

This name had persisted since the founding of Great Wei. Though dynasties rose and fell, and emperors from nine different families had sat upon the Dragon Throne, the name Chang’an had never once been changed.

Chang’an, Chang’an. A long and lasting peace.

No matter who ruled, as long as the common people had enough to eat and warm clothes to wear, that was all that mattered.

The setting sun slanted low against the majestic city gatehouse, casting a massive shadow across the packed-earth main road. A cerulean Lotus Platform slowly came to a stop just off the road.

Mei Zhaozhao scrambled off the Lotus Platform. "Huh? Didn’t the people in that village say Chang’an was sealed?"

The Silver-haired Maiden put away the Lotus Platform and shook her head.

Yesterday, they had rested for a night in a nearby village. A farmer’s wife had taken them in, and she’d told them that Chang’an had been sealed for a long time. It would be impossible to get in.

Sealed city or not.

It had nothing to do with Su Youwan. So, the Silver-haired Maiden, carrying the fox, had come to Chang’an. Both woman and fox had been prepared to descend from the sky, but unexpectedly, the main gate was open. The guards at the gate even seemed to be diligently at their posts.

"Something’s not right."

Mei Zhaozhao asked curiously, "What’s not right?"

The moment the words left her mouth, Mei Zhaozhao knew what was wrong.

The soldiers guarding the city gate had a strange air about them, no matter how you looked at it.

From a distance, the soldiers did indeed look like they were guarding the city gate. But upon closer inspection, every single one of them had lifeless eyes and listless limbs.

They were like characters in a shadow puppet play, all crooked and slumped.

"It’s like... they’re being controlled."

Mei Zhaozhao leaped onto Su Youwan’s shoulder, and the Silver-haired Maiden and the fox approached the gates of Chang’an.

Suddenly, a soldier seemed to notice something and shouted, "Halt! State your business!"

’These people are still conscious?’

But in a flash, the Silver-haired Maiden and the fox vanished.

The soldier muttered to himself, "Seeing ghosts... in broad daylight."

The Silver-haired Maiden and the fox reappeared in the shadows just inside the city wall.

Though her eyes were covered by a white cloth, Su Youwan perceived her surroundings with perfect clarity. "Those soldiers seem to be half-dreaming, half-awake. They can react to external sounds, but they can’t realize their own abnormality."

It was just like dreaming; when you’re asleep, you don’t realize you’re in a dream.

Mei Zhaozhao said, "Let’s find your Eldest Imperial Brother first. He should be in the Imperial Palace."

"Mm."

They had only taken a few steps forward.

Mei Zhaozhao seemed to sense something, and her voice grew extremely cautious. "There’s some kind of mind-bewitching Magic in this city."

The Hehuan Sect excelled in this kind of Dao. Mei Zhaozhao could smell a similar scent in the air, but it was different from her own Red Desire Technique.

The closer the two got to the Imperial Palace, the more alarmed they became.

Although the Wei Kingdom was small, Chang’an was a bustling and prosperous city, its streets normally filled with people.

But what greeted their eyes was no ordinary scene of lively streets filled with ox-carts and horse-drawn carriages.

Everyone, including the cats and dogs, had the same half-dreaming, vacant-eyed look.

And yet, these people were still going through their daily routines. Hawkers hawked their wares, diners entered restaurants to eat. Even at a nearby brothel, the garishly dressed courtesans were still soliciting customers.

It was completely lifeless, yet it feigned life, a sight so bizarre it made one’s hair stand on end.

To be more precise, it was a veneer of vitality hiding the ephemeral scene of a grand dream.

A clear trace of anger had entered the Silver-haired Maiden’s voice.

"The work of a Dream Demon. Since when do Dream Demons dare to interfere with a Mortal Dynasty?"

The Little Ancestor of the Compassionate Palace recognized this technique.

Su Youwan looked at the fox on her shoulder, only to find that at some point, Mei Zhaozhao had also fallen into a half-dreaming state. The little fox was now leaning against her shoulder, dazed and giggling foolishly.

At this, the Silver-haired Maiden held back no longer. With a shake of her pale-blue and white robes, she shot toward the Imperial Palace at high speed.

BANG!

It was like a stone striking the surface of the water, sending out ripples.

Something was trying to drag her into an unknown space.

Su Youwan remained silent. She flipped her wrist, and a long, slender Silver Needle appeared in her hand.

A thread of fate that tried to entangle her was instantly twisted away by the needle, unable to get any closer.

From the day she was born, nothing had ever been able to bewitch her mind. The only exception was Lu Changyuan, who had devoured her emotions, making it impossible for her to maintain her Supreme state in his presence. But against anyone else, her Supreme state was still effective.

"It’s been a long time, Third Imperial Sister."

The voice was as gentle as jade, yet it coiled around her like a venomous snake. From the shadows cast by the palace walls, a young man in green robes slowly emerged, blocking Su Youwan’s path.

His face bore a slight resemblance to Su Youwan’s. A perfect smile played on his lips, and he fanned himself gently with a folding fan, his posture relaxed, as if he were just a chance passerby.

Su Youwan came to an abrupt halt. The air around her instantly froze, and the long sleeves of her Daoist robes stirred without a wind.

Beneath the white cloth, her eyes were as cold as the depths of a frigid pool. "Imperial Brother. It has been a long time."

Before her words had even faded, several fine, silver glints tore through the air!

The Silver Needles were as fine as ox hairs, nearly invisible in the faint daylight. They only produced a few piercing shrieks as they cut through the wind, streaking like cascading moonlight, so fierce that their trajectories were impossible to follow.

SHRED.

Su Minghan quickly unfurled his folding fan to block, but the fan’s surface was pierced as easily as thin paper. The Silver Needle’s momentum didn’t slow, and it instantly sank into his chest, leaving a tiny, bloody hole. A bead of crimson blood quickly seeped out, spreading into a small, dark stain on his green lapel.

He looked down at the wound on his chest. Far from being shocked or angry, the smile on his face only grew deeper and more bizarre. His smile was steeped in an inhuman chill. "Long time no see. Have you forgotten your own brother, Imperial Sister? So much so that you’d resort to a killing blow."