Chapter 628 - 200: Meeting the Dean 2

It wasn’t just them; even Eunuch Chen and his men were preparing to use every method at their disposal to find Shen Bai.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Shen Bai emerged.

Shen Bai shook his head. "It’s nothing. I ran into a bit of trouble, but it’s all been dealt with."

Qin Shuang let out a sigh of relief. "You’re still the same as ever. You always give us such a scare."

Shen Bai smiled and glanced around before turning to Eunuch Chen. He announced loudly, "I have urgent business. I must see Your Majesty."

Shen Bai felt he had to inform the Saint Martial Emperor about what had transpired in the Celestial Pride Hall.

Once the Saint Martial Emperor knew of such a major event, he could mobilize the Great Zhou Country’s extensive network to find some clues.

The surrounding prodigies had been planning to find an opportunity to approach Shen Bai, exchange a few words, and make themselves known to him.

The prodigies had all clearly seen what Shen Bai had done inside the Celestial Pride Hall.

Someone like Shen Bai was destined to soar to unimaginable heights. Getting on his good side now, even just by becoming a familiar face, could prove beneficial in the future.

For those who walk the path of the Jianghu, understanding the ways of the world is a skill in itself. As prodigies, they were all exceptionally shrewd.

This was especially true for Nan Huang. His desire to recruit Shen Bai into the Celestial Pride Salvation Society had become irrepressible.

But Shen Bai’s statement made everyone stop in their tracks.

’Perhaps he encountered something inside?’

The thought surfaced in everyone’s mind.

Since he had official business, it wouldn’t be right for them to disturb him now.

Eunuch Chen nodded slightly. "Come with me. The Celestial Pride Hall is closing—huh? Where is the Celestial Pride Hall?"

In the sky, the ethereal projection of the Celestial Pride Hall was rapidly vanishing.

It wasn’t just Eunuch Chen; everyone present wore the same wooden expression.

The Celestial Pride Hall was gone. This meant it would never appear again.

Shen Bai said, "This is precisely what I need to discuss with Your Majesty."

Eunuch Chen composed himself, a complex look in his eyes. "Come with me," he said. "Prime Minister, I leave matters here in your hands."

Prime Minister Cao nodded. "Very well."

Shen Bai then followed Eunuch Chen toward the Imperial Palace.

...

「Meanwhile, far from the Imperial Palace.」

Zhu Xueshuang had already led her subordinates a great distance away in their escape.

Their assassination attempt on Shen Bai and the prodigies from other nations had failed. Fearing an immediate counterattack from the Great Zhou Country, they had fled at once.

Zhu Xueshuang slowed her pace slightly, glancing back at the scattering clouds behind them. "We should be safe now," she said.

They had fled so far without any sign of pursuit. At this distance, even if the Great Zhou Country possessed god-like powers, finding them would be impossible.

"My Lady, are your wounds healing?" a subordinate asked, catching up to her.

Zhu Xueshuang shook her head. "They’re ninety percent healed. This mission was a complete failure. Once we return, I’ll make sure there’s not even enough of him left to bury."

As she spoke his name, Zhu Xueshuang’s voice was filled with extreme fury.

Not only had she been injured this time, but she had even lost her own daughter in the process.

She would go back and plan meticulously. She would have Shen Bai flayed alive, making him suffer the most exquisite agony imaginable.

The subordinate felt the killing intent radiating from Zhu Xueshuang and shivered. He said nothing, simply following in silence.

"Tonight, you will attend to my needs," Zhu Xueshuang said, stroking her subordinate’s face with a hint of mockery.

The subordinate immediately shivered, but dared not let any of his revulsion show on his face.

Zhu Xueshuang licked her lips. "When I capture Shen Bai, I’ll first have my fun with him. I’ll use the Summoning God Skill to call upon a master of cultivation plundering, let them possess my body, and make him experience both pain and ecstasy."

She seemed lost in a fantasy, imagining she had already captured Shen Bai and was savoring his despair.

Her pace had slowed. Having escaped with her life, Zhu Xueshuang had let her guard down far too much.

But at that very moment, a flash of light streaked across the sky from far away.

A sense of mortal danger suddenly gripped Zhu Xueshuang’s heart.

She whipped her head around, only to see a point of white light rapidly expanding as it shot toward her.

In that instant, Zhu Xueshuang felt a pressure greater than any she had felt even when facing Shen Bai.

"Buddha’s Light!"

She made her decision in a split second: she would summon a god to possess her.

As if it were nothing, the white light shattered the Buddha’s Light and pierced through Zhu Xueshuang’s body.

’How can this be?’

Zhu Xueshuang looked down at the bloody hole in her chest.

The god she had summoned specialized in defense, yet it hadn’t blocked the attack for even a single instant.

After piercing through Zhu Xueshuang, the white light vanished as if she had been its sole target.

A terrifying, corrosive power radiated from the wound, destroying her entire body in an instant.

Zhu Xueshuang turned to ash, and a gust of wind scattered her remains, erasing her from Heaven and Earth.

Her subordinates witnessed the entire scene.

The hair on their bodies stood on end. They stared, frozen with shock, at the spot where Zhu Xueshuang had died.

After a long moment, one of the subordinates wiped the sweat from his brow. "Run!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, they all fled the area at the fastest Speed they could muster.

...

「The Imperial Palace, Great Zhou Country.」

Inside the Imperial Study, sandalwood incense curled gracefully in the air.

After Shen Bai finished his report, he picked up the cup of tea beside him and took a sip.

Only the Saint Martial Emperor and Shen Bai were present.

The Saint Martial Emperor fell silent upon hearing the news.

After a long silence, the Saint Martial Emperor shook his head. "What a shame. Had I known, I would have emptied the Celestial Pride Hall of its contents, no matter the cost."

Shen Bai set down his teacup. "It is a shame indeed."

’He felt the same regret. If he could have just nabbed a few more Deceitful Objects, his haul from this venture would have been astronomical.’

The Saint Martial Emperor tapped his fingers on the desk. "I will handle the matter of the Era of Ten Thousand Cities. You have foiled a conspiracy by the remnants of that era. What reward do you desire?"

He said nothing more.