The moment Su Wanqing’s figure vanished at the end of the long street, the cynical smile on Bi Sheng’s face receded like the tide.

He turned to stare at Xu Yunfan, a cold glint appearing in his murky old eyes.

He didn’t mince words. After all, he naturally harbored some resentment since his senior brother, Bi Yuan, had snatched Xu Yunfan from him.

"Kid."

His gaunt fingers stroked the wine gourd at his waist, his voice laced with a rare coldness.

"Don’t think I’m really here to clean up your messes. Your master... my *dear* senior brother, made it perfectly clear. Unless your life is hanging by a thread, this old man isn’t supposed to lift a finger for you."

The night wind howled between them, carrying bits of rubble.

"The plan was for you to spend three months laying the groundwork in Jade Capital incognito..."

The old Taoist slid half a Turtle Shell from his sleeve. It was engraved with trigrams Xu Yunfan couldn’t understand, but judging from Bi Sheng’s expression, it clearly wasn’t a favorable divination.

"Who knew that on your very first day, you’d cause a scene by shooting an arrow three hundred zhang!"

He sighed. "Now you’ve truly caught the eye of that Empress. I’m afraid your every move will be watched by many people from now on."

Xu Yunfan’s Linn Character Technique was still active, allowing him to clearly perceive the terrifying aura lying dormant within Bi Sheng.

It was by no means the pressure of an ordinary Ninth Realm master, but that of an existence who had broken through multiple times and reached an extremely profound level within the Ninth Realm.

He suddenly realized that when his martial uncle had fought Su Wanqing moments ago, he probably hadn’t used his full strength—perhaps not even eighty percent of it.

"Understood, Martial Uncle. I will be careful from now on. As for that waterside pavilion, I chose the location specifically. There should still be someone alive."

Bi Sheng snorted two plumes of white air from his nostrils. The moment the air left his body, it transformed into two ripples, clearly visible to the naked eye, that rapidly spread out, violently churning the Blood Qi of any nearby spies.

"Guess you’re not a complete idiot after all."

Bi Sheng waved his hand.

"Remember, the Celestial Pivot Start Sect isn’t the only one in Jade Capital City that wants you dead."

Bi Sheng’s figure dissipated into the night like a puff of smoke. Xu Yunfan gazed at the empty street corner and shook his head slightly.

The old fellow had cultivated the Golden Locking Jade Twelve Formulas to the Transformation Realm. His Lightweight Skill had reached the state of "Stepping on Snow Without Trace" and "Riding the Wind." It was no surprise he could come and go without a trace.

In Ninth Realm Qi Cultivation, once Strength transformed into True Qi, one’s fighting style became completely different from that of an ordinary Martial Artist. It was truly astounding.

During the earlier fight between Bi Sheng and Su Wanqing, the shockwaves had been intentionally contained and had not spread, but one could still glimpse the terrifying power of a Ninth Realm Supreme Qi Cultivation Grandmaster.

He turned to look at the trembling Chen Hong and the other Taoist Sect disciples. They had been cowering in a corner ever since the great battle began, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

Now, as Xu Yunfan’s gaze swept over them, they all shuddered in unison.

"S-Senior Brother..." Chen Hong’s Adam’s apple bobbed, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Xu Yunfan casually tossed them a heavy silk pouch, from which came the crisp, pleasant clink of metal and stones.

"Take this. Besides some pure gold, there are also tens of thousands of taels in Silver Notes. That should be enough. For everything that needs to be compensated, pay double."

He paused, then added meaningfully, "Especially for the households next to Changfeng Restaurant. Remember to put in a few good words."

After all, aside from the roofs and tiles torn apart along the path of the arrow from his Sky-Sundering Cloud-Piercing Bow, those few houses had suffered the most severe damage.

Having given his instructions, Xu Yunfan’s figure flickered and, like a phantom, he shot toward the half-collapsed waterside pavilion three hundred zhang away.

Activating the Light Body technique from his Ten Extremes Martial Arts, he arrived within a few breaths.

By the waterside pavilion, he clearly sensed a faint aura beneath the rubble, as weak as a candle guttering in the wind. It was the brocade-robed youth.

BOOM!

With a palm strike, Xu Yunfan blasted away a broken crossbeam, revealing the barely breathing youth underneath.

The youth’s magnificent robes were soaked in blood, but the Jade Pendant at his waist was as lustrous as ever—it was the Cyan Frost Pendant, the token of a Sword Pavilion Inner Sect Disciple.

The most striking feature was the Cyan Phosphorus Chain wrapped around his right wrist. It was currently writhing bizarrely, as if trying to burrow into his flesh.

"A Demon Organ?!"

Xu Yunfan’s eyebrows rose slightly. He hadn’t expected someone to be able to use a Demon Organ for protection. It was quite an eye-opener.

His fingers clamped down on the youth’s skull like a claw as his Pure Yang True Qi poured into the boy’s body, forcibly suppressing the stirring chain.

The youth’s eyes suddenly snapped open, his pupils glowing an eerie cyan. "You... have no idea who you’ve provoked..."

Before he could finish, three fine, dark blue needles shot from his mouth!

DING!

The Dragon Scale Armor automatically protected its master. Its Armor Leaves pulsed, spitting out wisps of crimson Strength that struck down all the Poison Needles.

Unhurried, Xu Yunfan jabbed his fingers like a sword at the youth’s Danzhong Acupoint. The Triple Hidden Force of his Ten Extremes Martial Arts erupted one after another, and the youth, as if struck by lightning, collapsed into unconsciousness.

"Take him back to our post." Hoisting the youth up like a sack of potatoes, Xu Yunfan ordered the Taoist Sect disciples who had just arrived, "Use the sect’s Eight-Treasure Soul-Suppressing Nails to bind his limbs, and then... Huh?"

He suddenly whipped his head around to look at the end of the long street.

Faint vibrations traveled up from the ground. At least three hundred armored men were galloping toward them, yet their hoofbeats were eerily silent.

"The Nirvana Horse Hoof Iron of the Imperial City Department..."

One of the Taoist Sect disciples at his side couldn’t help but let out a few sneers.

"These hounds have learned their lesson, mastering the art of showing up fashionably late."

By the time the first squad of the Profound Armor Imperial Guard rounded the street corner, Xu Yunfan and the others had already vanished without a trace.

Amidst the wreckage, only the Profound Steel Arrow remained, lodged at an angle in a bluestone slab. It was still humming and vibrating, glinting brightly in the morning sun.

The leading Captain stared at the arrow, his face ashen. He didn’t dare reach out to pull it free.

His adjutant whispered from behind, "Sir, this Taoist Sect disciple committed violence in the street. Should we..."

"Shut up!"

The Captain gritted his teeth. "Are matters like these for us to decide? Go report to the Commander at once..."

The Captain’s gaze lingered for a moment on the Taoist Sect’s post, and he swallowed involuntarily.

He slowly retracted his gaze, his voice hushed as if afraid the night wind might overhear. "Just say... that the ironclad proof of collusion between the Sword Pavilion and the Celestial Pivot Start Sect has already been snatched away by someone who beat us to it."

"This..."

The adjutant’s pupils contracted, and his hand tightened on the hilt of his saber. "Sir, we have no proof. Isn’t that basically..."

He swallowed, not daring to say the word "framing."

The Captain suddenly turned his head. Beneath his iron mask, his eyes held a clever glint in the moonlight.

He placed a hand on his adjutant’s shoulder, his Profound Iron Bracelet making a soft CLICK against the shoulder plate. "Remember, our loyalty is to the Great Zhou Imperial Court." 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

His fingers tightened unconsciously. "The more fiercely these Mortal Martial Sects fight amongst themselves, the more soundly the great lords at court... can sleep."

The adjutant was about to nod when he caught sight of the Taoist Sect disciples in the distance, counting out compensation.

The "Xuan" tokens hanging from their waists flickered in the torchlight. The two groups were clearly demarcated, each acting as if the other was invisible.

He hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to the Captain’s ear. "But, sir, I just received a report. That brocade-robed youth Xu Yunfan took... he seems to be the third young master of Prince Mu’s Mansion."

"What?!"

Beneath his mask, all color drained from the Captain’s face.