Chapter 535: The Hunt, Part 2

‘Thirty-five rampaging Evil Spirits? The weakest are B-Class, and there are six A-Class ones?!’

Yang Zhongyuan’s eyes narrowed sharply. This number was far beyond his expectations. It was easy to imagine the impact such a large number of rampaging Evil Spirits—combined with the battles outside—would have on the city, especially during a major event like the Lotus Lantern Dharma Assembly.

“Activate the pre-staged Arrays at the Twelve Pillars. We cannot allow anything to happen to them. Also, mobilize personnel immediately. Evacuate the civilians around the affected areas. Establish containment zones around each Evil Spirit and dispatch teams to restrict their movements. The objective is containment, not immediate elimination. All other stationed personnel are forbidden from redeploying without authorization. They will follow their original orders. Any violators will be severely punished!”

“The Evil Spirits’ rampage is merely the enemy’s first wave, intended to cause chaos in the city. Their ultimate goal is to breach the Twelve Pillars, release the Yin Sha Qi, and destroy the South Mansion’s Grand Array. We absolutely cannot lose our composure.”

“Also, request that Lord City God continue to act, and do his best to curb the spread of the Evil Spirits’ corruption.”

Yang Zhongyuan gave his commands in a grave voice, his composure unshaken. He refused to let the chaos in the city lead him to make a mistake.

He knew full well that the Evil Spirits were just an opening gambit, designed to sow chaos in the city and cause them to fall into disarray. This would create an opportunity for the enemy to strike at the very foundations of the city’s Arrays.

The Evil Spirits were terrifying, but Yang Zhongyuan suspected that not even the enemy could precisely control so many of them. By simply containing them and cordoning off safe zones, the threat could be minimized without needing to eliminate them right away. There would be time to settle the score later.

Still, the number and intensity of the Evil Spirits were a real headache. Fortunately, he and the two marquises had prepared for this. Twelve of Marquis Wei Lie’s thirty-six Clones were already hidden in and around the South Mansion, more than enough to handle any internal unrest.

‘Trying to take down the Twelve Pillars amidst this chaos? Impossible. In fact, this is our chance to wipe out the core members of the Yin Tower Organization who have dared to show their faces!’

Elsewhere.

In the courtyard of a private residence on Xiaoning Street.

SWISH!!

Zhao Xuanqi landed in the courtyard to find a figure in black already waiting for him.

The woman didn’t look like Zhuang Li. She was plain, with a build completely different from Zhuang Li’s. Even the subtle aura she exuded, the very feeling she gave off, was nothing like Zhuang Li’s.

The moment he saw her, Zhao Xuanqi’s guard went up. He was almost certain something had happened to Zhuang Li.

“You’re a little late.”

Only when the woman spoke did Zhao Xuanqi’s tense muscles relax slightly. The talismans brewing within his five viscera settled down.

“You’re Zhuang Li?”

Zhao Xuanqi asked uncertainly.

“Her abilities are still too weak. She’s currently familiarizing herself with the methods of my Hundred Flowers Dao. I will be leading tonight’s operation. You can call me ‘Spirit.’ And you? A codename would make communication easier.”

Spirit spoke in a calm voice.

“A codename? Then call me ‘Qilin’.”

Zhao Xuanqi said. He had used the name Qilin once before in the Ghost City, but the Red Heart Sect senior who knew it had died there that same night. It was impossible for anyone in the outside world to know he used that name.

“Qilin?”

Spirit nodded. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a talisman drawn on Yellow Paper into Zhao Xuanqi’s hand.

“What’s this?”

Zhao Xuanqi asked, looking doubtfully at the intricate cyan patterns on the talisman.

“Your Vitality is too conspicuous. I can’t be sure if some expert might be able to identify you by it, but it’s always better to be cautious. I have no desire to have my identity exposed because of you. Burn this talisman paper with your Primordial Qi. It will temporarily alter your ‘Vitality.’ The effect lasts for one day.”

Spirit said.

‘Alter my Vitality?’

Zhao Xuanqi began to understand the reason for Zhuang Li’s transformation—why she seemed like a complete stranger even to him. Without further hesitation, a fluctuation appeared in his palm. He forced out his Qi and Blood to form a Technique, and a surge of Blood Qi flowed from it, enveloping the talisman paper.

FWOOSH!!

The talisman paper combusted, and a cyan glow enveloped his body, coating its surface. This layer of power distorted some of his unique features, making them different from before.

“Alright, let’s get moving. Keep up with me. Try not to use your Golden Fire, if you can help it. If you have to, its fluctuations are impossible to hide, so be sure to warn me first.”

Spirit whispered. Cyan patterns materialized on her body, and a dense, dark green glow of Primordial Qi enveloped her. In an instant, she vanished.

A glint flashed in Zhao Xuanqi’s eyes as he shot forward, following right behind her.

The hunt had begun.

As the two set out.

All across the South Mansion, amidst the chaos, pairs of eyes watched coldly from the shadows. Through some mysterious link, they relayed intelligence to a hidden location outside the South Mansion.

“Tch. The Governor of the South Mansion is more capable than I thought. Even with all this, his command is steady, showing no signs of panic. Looks like there are no shortcuts to be had. We’ll just have to let the Believers face them head-on.”

Zhu Xie said with a smile.

“It doesn’t matter. We anticipated this. The evil-summoning ritual has already tied up a significant portion of their forces. That’s our opening. Besides, with your Blood Puppets acting as relays, the Believers can pick and choose their targets.”

“Let’s move. That fellow Formless is being shifty. The Sword Gu alone won’t be able to hold those two back for long. Any delay could cause unexpected problems. As long as we destroy the nodes I’ve marked, and with Nine Yin continuing to stir up the Yin Sha from below, the Twelve Pillars are bound to show a weakness.”