Chapter 1131 - 938: Whirlpool_2

Fortunately, he had no interest in fussing over this trivial matter either. He still had more important things to deal with, so he said nothing, just took Xu You and turned back. Without the Soul-devouring Demon King, he could still look for other Demon Kings—after all, West Niu had twelve Demon Kings.

It was just hard on the Illusion Demon King. Down at the foot of Yuling Mountain, Bai Sheng, who had been waiting for relevant news, was a bit dumbfounded.

But then, on second thought, this outcome was, for him, a change that still fell within the bounds of reason. As the instigator, he naturally knew why Lü Mi had beaten a retreat and gone home.

Precisely because he knew, he was baffled as to why he'd made this trip for nothing.

Then he went back to the Xun Gate side.

The Xun Gate had opened a narrow, edge-hugging reverse lane, so going out was relatively convenient.

After he entered the Xun Gate and left, the Red-clothed Woman, quietly reading on her recliner, started, then closed her eyes to carefully probe for a while.

When she opened her eyes again, her gaze was full of thick doubt. This time, she really couldn't figure out what on earth Bai Sheng was doing today…

Mulan Jin's descent upon Heavenly Domain Dingnan Prefecture was, for most people in the world, an inside story they might never touch in a lifetime. But for those big shots of the Demon Realm, it wasn't much of a secret—especially since the instigator had deliberately leaked the news to scare others off.

His move did achieve his own goal, but it pitied Chai Wenwu. The excellent industrial-introduction situation Shi Chun had painstakingly built up was smashed by Bai Sheng, and Chai Wenwu suddenly found that the introduction landscape had become difficult.

Those Demon Realm big shots he used to persuade in just a few words now became completely unmoved. Chai Wenwu suddenly discovered his eloquence wasn't so good after all.

Worse yet, he now couldn't even get an audience with some Demon Realm big names.

The earlier smooth progress had almost misled him into thinking those Demon Realm big shots were actually pretty easy to talk to.

Things weren't going well, but he still did his duty. If he couldn't handle the big-name bosses of the Demon Realm, then he'd go for those a tier down—he couldn't betray the Commander's high expectations…

Some time later, Feng Xi, Bi Dao, Luo Xian'er, and the others, who had been under isolated house arrest on the highest mountain of Tianyu Dingnan Prefecture City, were finally released and regained their freedom.

The Stargazing Pavilion also didn't say they had no ties to the Demon Path; it released them on the grounds of "no conclusive evidence."

During the period when the three big shots were under house arrest, the commotion they stirred up wasn't small. After all, their identities and backgrounds were plain to see. Whether it was the Phoenix Clan, or Wanfu Mountain and White Bone Mountain, plenty of high-level figures came to investigate the situation—there was no helping it; they had completely lost contact.

But anxiety was useless; everyone was uniformly blocked at the foot of the mountain by the Stargazing Pavilion, not allowed to meet or communicate with those under house arrest.

Even the upper echelons of the West Bull King Court were alarmed and sent people to inquire. The fact that these Demon Realm big shots were released so quickly had a lot to do with the West Bull King Court pressuring Mulan Jin. With no definitive proof, they ordered Mulan Jin to a deadline.

After this series of changes, Feng Chi was run ragged—one wave of guests left, another wave arrived.

At the foot of the mountain, Feng Chi personally rushed to the mountain gate to welcome the big shots: Qiankun Sect had sent three elders at once to pay a visit. With the Commander absent, this Demon Path woman had no choice but to bite the bullet and hold up the front, feeling far from at ease, because Mulan Jin had not left.

She herself had even been summoned by the Stargazing Pavilion for questioning earlier. After all, the so-called report was that someone had colluded with the Demon Path to harm Shi Chun. Since Shi Chun wasn't there, they naturally had to question those around Shi Chun.

When the Stargazing Pavilion suddenly "invited" her, it scared her half to death; she was truly panicked. Fortunately, it turned out to be just a routine inquiry, and she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

In short, all sorts of good and bad things were piled on her shoulders. In this life, it was her first time seeing so many big figures, and also her first time negotiating with so many big figures.

The key point was that Shi Chun wasn't here. Even if those big figures felt this brothel-born woman unworthy, they had no choice but to face reality.

On the way up the mountain, one Qiankun Sect elder glanced around at the extraordinary atmosphere of the mountain and suddenly came out with a remark that made the host rather awkward: "This residence was built on credit, and I hear you even paid your subordinates their monthly stipends five years in advance. With the repayments diluted month by month, who knows when you'll pay off what you owe us at Qiankun Sect."

Feng Chi gave a few dry laughs and didn't respond. When she ran into questions that were hard to answer, she just played dumb and shifted them onto Shi Chun.

She'd complain to Shi Chun later as well. Fortunately, she was quite willing to work hard and endure, and she trusted Shi Chun's judgment and decisions. Since Shi Chun felt it inappropriate to show his face, she could only steel herself and keep carrying the load.

While storms brewed atop the mountain, the city below remained as bustling as ever, untouched by any disturbance. The people, busy or idle, had no idea that major events were unfolding within the Central of this city.

In a deep courtyard, the Red-clothed Woman woke from a lazy nap, walked barefoot to where Shi Chun was practicing calligraphy, wrapped her arms around his waist from behind, and, chuckling, made a double-entendre: "You're at least the Commander of Dingnan Prefecture, yet you can spend every day steeped in romance—your patience is something else."

She knew all too well how lively the mountain at the Central of this Prefecture City was right now—lively to the extreme, yet the main figure was never seen. No matter what status the visitors held, the real master was presently with hair loose, wielding his brush at her side.

As for her taking the initiative to embrace him like this—this was unthinkable in the past. Time could change many people and things. After spending day and night together long enough, certain restraints and barriers truly did vanish without a trace. Here, there was no status, high or low, only man and woman.

For the Red-clothed Woman, she hadn't enjoyed this feeling for a very, very long time, and she was thoroughly immersed in it…

"My lord, Kuang Yao Bi Dao and the Bone Demon King have both taken their people and left the Heavenly Domain. The Phoenix Clan's clan chief—who knows what she's thinking—after regaining her freedom is still staying on the mountain, with no intention of leaving. Qiankun Sect sent three elders over, probably to collect debts; it has a bit of that 'everyone pushing once the wall is cracked' flavor."

Inside the Heavenly Domain Master Mansion, Mo Hei promptly reported the latest situation from Dingnan Prefecture to Manxi.

Manxi snorted and then sighed, "It's not that Feng Xi doesn't intend to leave; it's that she doesn't want to go without seeing Shi Chun."

Mo Hei froze, realizing the Domain Master had learned something from above, and asked in puzzlement, "Where does Shi Chun get that kind of charm?"

Manxi lifted a hand to stroke his beard and spat, "Charm my ass! He's made such a huge mess. The moment the West Bull King Court sent people, the Heavenly Court immediately sent people too. They jointly investigated the whole affair. Feng Xi revealed the reason she stayed in Dingnan Prefecture: Wu Jinliang once used a great array on Yanfu Continent to face off against a group of experts from Nanshan, and the Phoenix Clan suspects that array is precisely the one stolen from the Phoenix Clan's Divine Mountain."

Mo Hei was shocked. "Ah? Shi Chun actually has a way to steal the Phoenix Clan's Divine Mountain Formation?"

Manxi shook his head. "Who the hell knows? Feng Xi said that, when she communicated with Shi Chun earlier, Shi Chun himself didn't know what array it was. He said that during the Battle of Great Pardon he was ambushed by Qiankun Sect disciples; when he counterattacked and killed Zhe Yuren, he seized several Magical Treasures from Zhe Yuren, and that array was among them."

Mo Hei was stunned. They were quite familiar with this matter, since they were on-site witnesses watching through the Heavenly Mirror during the Battle of Great Pardon. He couldn't help recalling as he slowly said, "Right, Qiankun Sect disciple Zhe Yuren was indeed killed by Shi Chun. I remember Shi Chun snatched some kind of treasure Zhe Yuren had summoned back then. How would Zhe Yuren have the Phoenix Clan's Divine Mountain Formation on him?"

Manxi snorted. "It was all in a flash, and it's been so long—who remembers clearly? The problem is, Zhe Yuren is dead; dead men can't testify. More importantly, Shi Chun used a Magical Treasure on Yanfu Continent, and it's been confirmed to be Qiankun Sect's 'Four Extremes Immortal Slaying Array,' proven to have come from Zhe Yuren's hands. Which means the Qiankun Sect, the number one Array Great Sect in the Cultivation World, has now been dragged into suspicion of stealing Phoenix Clan treasures. If that reputation spreads, hehe… Why do you think those three elders of Qiankun Sect rushed together to Dingnan Prefecture? Are the debts Dingnan Prefecture owes really worth sending three elders at once? The higher-ups told us to keep a bit of distance from Dingnan Prefecture, so we don't get tangled up beyond explanation."

Mo Hei grimaced as he listened. "Damn, this Dingnan Prefecture is like a whirlpool—anyone who touches it ends up unlucky. We really do need to keep our distance."