Way of the Devil

Lu Sheng watched him leave, then shut his eyes and attempted to reverse the flow of the Aquarius Qi in his Yin Crane Web. As expected, he easily converted the Yin-type Aquarius Qi into extremely pure Ultimate Crimson Nine Furies inner Qi.

That was the amazing ability of Yin Yang equilibrium.

“Zhao Jiaojiao greets the Sect Master.” A hoarse female voice rang out in the study.

Lu Sheng opened his eyes and sized up the present Zhao Jiaojiao.

Very ripe, like a full, succulent, rosy and fragrant peach.

Zhao Jiaojiao wore a pink long dress that revealed her shoulders. Her long hair was tied up in a bun with a simple red wood hairpin. Her curvaceous figure belied the fact that she was already over forty years old.

Her radiant pinkish skin made her look merely twenty-eight, and her charming looks reminded one of the attractive blood rose.

Most strikingly, she had deliberately ripped apart the hem of her dress, making it look like a cheongsam with a slit which revealed her legs up to her thighs.

“What’s wrong? Doesn’t Sect Master recognize Jiaojiao?” Zhao Jiaojiao smiled.

“You’ve dressed well,” Lu Sheng complimented. “I need you to harvest and gather the precious herbs on this map.” He took out a cut-out map with three locations marked out on it.

He tossed the map over and Zhao Jiaojiao caught it precisely. She unfurled it gently and glanced at it.

“One of the locations happen to be Jiaojiao’s hometown.” She smiled. She was a completely different person from the one in the prison.

“It works out well then.” Lu Sheng nodded. “Go. I give you a month. If you can’t find them, then just come back.”

“Alright.” Zhao Jiaojiao arched her eyebrows, turned around, and walked out vivaciously.

The guards by the door stared at her till they eyes nearly popped out.

After watching Zhao Jiaojiao leave, Lu Sheng shut his eyes again. Scarlet District Mistress and Ashoka Manor were closing in; he needed greater, stronger power.

Capturing all the inner force experts who opposed him and sucking them dry of inner Qi was the first step towards that.

As long as he had sufficient power, then regardless of whether it was Ashoka Manor or Scarlet District Mistress, they all had to die!

As he converted the Yin and Yang in his body, he faintly sensed that the transformation of his body was accelerating.

‘That’s it… that’s it… just like that… a little faster…’ Lu Sheng concentrated deeper. The corners of his lips curved into a savage grin.

***

“DIE!!!”

“KABOOM!!”

Scarlet District Mistress bellowed as she punched a black grayish stone wall. The stone wall exploded and a black shadow dashed out in panic.

“You Wandering Heart Society scum!!!” Scarlet District Mistress pounced and appeared behind the black shadow in a flash. With both hands, she grabbed the black shadow’s arms.

“RIP!!”

Like a prey ripped in half, the black shadow’s upper body was ripped into two halves there and then.

White ribs jutted out of one half of his body, and copious amounts of blood splattered on the ground. Frightened screams and cries rang out all over.

This was the central arena of Martial League.

Martial League’s people had either died or fled. But while Scarlet District Mistress was interrogating the ghosts, she met with a sneak attack by a Wandering Heart Society expert.

Regretfully, however, even a team led by a Wandering Heart Society Guardian King who could kill even a Sevel-Vein Level expert was easily slaughtered by her. Consequently, Wandering Heart Society had lost another powerful expert and would probably be enraged when the news reached them.

“Our Society Leader… will not let you off the hook!!” Left with half a body, the black shadow struggled to utter his last words. Then, with a bang, his head was smashed into pulp by Scarlet District Mistress.

“I’m sick of listening to the same thing over and over again.” A black light flashed across Scarlet District Mistress’ body and all the blood stains disappeared instantly, as if they had been absorbed by a sponge.

She surveyed her surroundings.

The raging fire continued to spread along the roofs and buildings in Martial League. Numerous bizarre corpses lay strewn all over under the thick billowing smoke. Some of them had the head of a rhinoceros but the body of a man. Some others had the head of a man but the body of a snake.

These were assassins sent by Wandering Heart Society.

All along her journey back after hunting the Zhen Family, she had been crossing paths with Wandering Heart Society, a powerful faction that belonged to neither the Central Plains nor the Northern Lands. The ability of their Devil Blade was extremely compatible with Scarlet Dragon Tribulation. Hence, they were one of the most frantic pursuing parties after it.

“Sis…” Umbrella girl floated over from a distance.

“After two days, have you found any leads?” Scarlet District Mistress asked.

Umbrella girl shook her head slightly without a word.

Frustration rose in Scarlet District Mistress’ heart.

“Forget it. Since there’re no leads here, we’ll go Mountain-Edge City! We’ll go look for Taoist Baifeng.”

“Mm…” Umbrella girl pushed her umbrella down, shielding her unsettled eyes.

“Sis… let’s… forget about it. Let’s… stop looking,” she said all of a sudden.

“How can that happen!?” Scarlet District Mistress cut her short. “Even the Supreme Mantra was almost stolen! That’s my key to unlocking greater power in my own body! If that’s ever lost, wouldn’t our hopes of ever returning to life be ruined!? And so many ghosts were killed by that man.”

“But… that Wandering Heart Society… will come back,” umbrella girl said worriedly.

“Let them come.” Scarlet District Mistress was unbothered in the slightest. “I want to see how many more they have left for me to kill.”

“Sis…” Umbrella girl wanted to continue, but Scarlet District Mistress raised her hand, too impatient to listen any further.

Both of them packed up and brought the wandering ghosts away, off to Mountain-Edge City.

The two of them traveled with extraordinary speed. In just an hour, they entered the city, walking slowly on the streets like two mortal women.

Before long, the eyes of Intelligence Agency discovered the both of them. After initial shock and multiple verifications, they hurriedly reported it upstairs.

By the time Taoist Baifeng arrived, the two of them were sitting in a teahouse.

“This old Taoist Baifeng greets Scarlet District Mistress.” Baifeng displayed a deferential attitude. Cold beads of perspiration drenched his clothes and his muscles were tensed.

This was his first time seeing ghosts stroll into the city in broad daylight in his long life. But Scarlet District Mistress, being one of the few strongest experts in the entire Northern Lands, was truly exceptional indeed.

Scarlet District Mistress glanced at Baifeng blandly.

“Ye Moling has relayed it to you, I guess? My demands.”

“Yes… yes… I’ve heard all about it. Manor Lord Ye was very clear. This old Taoist has also run some checks beforehand.” Baifeng’s body was tensed, terrified that he might make a wrong move and provoke the other party into attacking. If that were to happen, no one in the entire Mountain-Edge City could stop her. She might even exterminate the entire city!

“What leads have you found then? Let’s hear them.” Bored, Scarlet District Mistress sipped from her teacup.

Presently, she looked merely like a tall, muscular white-haired woman. Although a mild ferocity emanated off her, she was essentially no different from an ordinary martial arts expert.

Baifeng bowed his head and wiped his sweat. He glanced furtively at his surroundings, then moved his lips. But no sound came out.

As his lips moved, however, Scarlet District Mistress’ eyes lit up.

She fell into contemplation momentarily. Suddenly, she rose to her feet.

“Then let’s go take a look now.”

She threw out those words, pulled umbrella girl along and strode out on the streets.

Taoist Baifeng was stumped, then quickly followed behind them.

“But doing so will put them on guard. If that family is angered…” he attempted to dissuade Scarlet District Mistress.

“Then let them come and find me. I don’t care which family they are, I need an explanation. No matter who they are.” Scarlet District Mistress was unbothered.

Baifeng, on the other hand, was crying in his heart. If word was to get out that the news had come from him, then he, the Head of Intelligence Agency, would truly be in deep waters. This feeling of being stuck in the middle was terrible.

He half-jogged after Scarlet District Mistress and umbrella girl. He knew where they were heading and had no way of dissuading them.

They moved with astonishing speed. In just a few moments, they reached the heart of Mountain-Edge City.

Scarlet District Mistress quickly came to a halt in front of a large manor. She lifted her head and read the signboard hung above it.

“Lu Manor?”

“Based on the reports from our spies, Sect Master Lu Sheng has close ties with Martial League. We just haven’t found evidence for it yet,” Taoist Baifeng quickly caught up with them and whispered. “But this shouldn’t be related to the previous fire in Scarlet District headquarters.”

They looked thoroughly unremarkable as they stood in front of Lu Manor, as if they were tourists who had just happened to pass by and paused to admire by the grandeur of the manor.

Scarlet District Mistress stared coldly at Lu Manor’s signboard. Suddenly, she turned and glared at Taoist Baifeng.

“What a fine plan you have.”

Without a further word, she turned around and left.

Umbrella girl heaved a big sigh of relief.

According to rumors, the Sect Master of Crimson Whale Sect had very close ties with Shangyang Jiuli. And Lu Manor was the family of Crimson Whale Sect’s Sect Master Lu Sheng. If her sister had truly been provoked into making a move against Lu Sheng’s family, then shiet would hit the fan.

Shangyang Family would certainly regard this as a provocation. And, given her sister’s devil-may-care personality, she absolutely would not give in to the pressure.

“Sis… let’s leave the Northern Lands…” Uncharacteristically, umbrella girl did not stammer this time. She followed closely behind Scarlet District Mistress, looking rather low-spirited.

“Don’t worry! Very soon… very soon, I’ll get stronger. When that time comes, I’ll build a brand-new Scarlet District. Nobody can hurt us. Don’t worry, Yingying. I’m here. If the heavens fall, I’ll prop it up!” Scarlet District Mistress held her hand tightly.

Umbrella girl gazed at her in a daze. Ever since a long long time ago, her sister had been saying that.

But she watched as her sister fought hard, but always held back. Although she was clearly stronger than others, she remained restrained and careful, not daring to strike wantonly.

All by herself, she painstakingly propped up Scarlet District—the supposed home that now belonged only to the two of them.

Faced against Shangyang Family, Wandering Heart Society, and all these factions with powerful backgrounds, she refused to back down.

Even just by watching her by her side, umbrella girl felt tired.

“Don’t worry. I just need one more breakthrough, and everything will be well.” A fatigued confidence appeared on Scarlet District Mistress’ face as she smiled at her.

But the more she acted like that, the more umbrella girl felt a wrench in her heart. Scenes of her sister enduring the pain of cultivation day and night flashed across her mind.

She could detect the unsettledness, fatigue, and sense of loss in her sister’s eyes. She knew her too well.

Was it because of Wandering Heart Society?

This faction kept closing in on them. Till this day, umbrella girl could not forget her sister had come back bloodied, clutching on to her own broken arm.

How long has it been since she had last seen her sister in such dire straits?

Yingying bowed her head. The thought of leaving surfaced in her mind again.

She wished that her sister would not have to work so hard. Wandering Heart Society was gradually coming for them. They would not be able to stay hidden for long. Even if they were to rebuild Scarlet District and hide the secret mantra with a concealing formation, they would remain incapable of escaping the clutches of Wandering Heart Society.