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When she saw these three new arrivals, Madam Goldenpin couldn’t help but murmur, “Eh?”
At the same time, Fire Mist Mountain’s Malevolent Sword Monarch, the withered elder known as Tianyang Lake’s Old Serpent, and a middle-aged man in brocade robes looked stunned.
It was obvious that they recognized their guests; these were those three newcomers who’d only just arrived in Nightdemon City earlier that night.
City Lord Wei Yun, the Jade Heaven Water Monarch, and the others all evaluated these three new arrivals.
Then, they furrowed their brows. The three of them were just too unfamiliar. No one knew where they’d come from.
These three arrivals were, of course, Su Yi and his companions.
The moment they entered the grand hall, they became the center of attention.
Especially Cui Jingyan, whose extraordinary grace and beauty made her seem like a lady immortal. She drew countless surprised, greedy, fiery, and lustful gazes.
This made her quite uncomfortable, and her beautiful painted eyebrows unwittingly knit together.
“Your Excellency, it’s this fellow Daoist who purchased a pot of Starmark Worms before we got there,” said Piao Zheng, gazing at Su Yi.
Wei Yun’s tall, stalwart figure remained unmoving in his chair, but he burst into hearty laughter. “Fellow Daoists, you’re as unfamiliar as can be. Might I ask your honorable names and surnames, and what sect or clan you hail from?”
Su Yi swept his gaze across the room, then said coolly, “Our origins are unimportant. I’ll just ask you this: is the Wei Family gathering Starmark Worms to capture Pure Yang Fire Perch?”
Deathly silence greeted this question.
Wei Yun’s eyes flashed, and he exclaimed, “Fellow Daoist, how did you learn such a secret?”
He really was surprised. Practically no one outside of the Wei Family knew that you could catch Pure Yang Fire Perch if you used Starmark Worms as bait!
Su Yi didn’t answer. Instead, he furrowed his brow and sank into thought.
Wei Yun’s words made him realize something. The seal on the forbidden ground deep within the wilderness of Yama’s Floating Mountains had most likely been undone already.
“Friend, the city lord is asking you a question,” a purple-robed man snorted with cold displeasure.
His complexion was sallow, and he had a hooked, beaky nose. His eyes were sunken, and his entire body emanated a sinister, bloodthirsty aura.
“What the hell does that have to do with you?” the old blind man asked expressionlessly.
“You…” The purple-robed man’s expression darkened, and his eyes shone with murderous intent.
The others present were quite surprised too; the blind man seemed like an attendant, so they wouldn’t have guessed him to have such a forceful attitude.
The man in purple was a mighty yao cultivator with an explosive temper. He lived in Poison Dragon Cave year-round, and he called himself the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch. He had a vicious, cruel disposition.
When ordinary cultivators saw him, they were scared out of their wits, frantic, and ill at ease.
Yet the old blind man had just rebuked him to his face, in front of a crowd and without the slightest politeness. Who wouldn’t have been surprised?
When Wei Yun saw this, he smiled and said, “Please, you two, don’t let your anger disturb the peace.”
The purple-robed Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch took a deep breath. “Since you say so, City Lord, I naturally won’t pursue this any further.”
The old blind man snickered. “I’ll just get this right out in the open: when His Excellency Su Yi speaks, he doesn’t like being interrupted.”
Even the attendees, who’d run amok for years, furrowed their brows. This old blind man sure is arrogant!
Wei Yun smiled, then looked at Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist, since you know why we’re gathering Starmark Worms, might you part with the ones you obtained?”
Wei Yun was the lord of Nightdemon City, and his perception was extremely keen. He could tell at a glance that both the old blind man and that incomparably beautiful young woman took the young man in blue as their leader.
Su Yi shook his head. “No.”
He refused as if it were a matter of course.
Wei Yun furrowed his brow, then probed, “Fellow Daoist, are you perhaps also after Pure Yang Fire Perch?”
“That’s right,” said Su Yi. “I came here to see what you were up to, but I can roughly guess the answer already. Farewell.”
Just like that, he turned and left the grand hall.
Cui Jingyan and the old blind man were briefly stunned, but they quickly hurried after him.
Both of them understood his personality. He’d never been one to draw things out. He went where he wanted, when he wanted, then left the moment he lost interest. He’d never concerned himself with where he was, or whether or not his behavior seemed abrupt.
However, in the eyes of the old devils in attendance, Su Yi’s behavior seemed far too brazen, as if he thought he could do whatever he wanted without any regard for others.
Even City Lord Wei Yun had a somewhat unsightly look on his face.
What kind of place does he think the city lord’s manor is?
The Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch was the first to lose his cool. He shouted, “Stop right there!”
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But it was as if Su Yi hadn’t even heard him. He ignored him completely; his steps didn’t so much as slow.
The crowd’s frowns deepened even further.
The Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch was so angry that he laughed and hit the table. “If you dare take even one step out that door, it’ll be the end of you!”
Boom! Icy murderous intent swept forth like the tide, permeating the entire hall.
Everyone’s gaze locked onto Su Yi and his companions, their eyes flashing.
Earlier, perhaps because Su Yi and the old blind man’s attitude had been overly domineering, these typically unbridled old fiends were alarmed and bewildered. None of them had dared act up.
But that didn’t mean they weren’t thinking about it.
When the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch stepped up, they were delighted; this was exactly what they’d hoped to see. How would Su Yi handle this?
Piao Zheng was just about to say something, only for Wei Yun to wave for silence and transmit, “Just watch the show.”
Amidst the tense, murderous atmosphere, Su Yi was less than thirty feet from the door. Without so much as turning his head, he said, “You brought your death upon yourself, and you’re unworthy of pity.”
Just one light, airy sentence.
As his voice rang out, the crowd was stunned. They even found it funny. What kind of situation does he think this is? How dare he be so impudent?
But just as his voice started echoing through the hall, a streak of sword light flashed through the air.
Splurt!
A bloody head flew through the air.
The Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch was a long-established elite of the heretical path, one who’d commanded powerful influence for a long time. Yet now, before he even knew what had hit him, he’d been reduced to a headless corpse.
His body thudded to the ground, breaking the little table in front of him. The plates and cups shattered, leaving a mess of broken porcelain and a spreading pool of fresh blood.
A ferocious, mighty yao of his generation had been executed, just like that!
Everyone present was stunned. Without exception, their expressions shifted dramatically.
When they next looked at Su Yi and his companions, they saw that the three of them were already leaving the grand hall, and their figures quickly disappeared into the boundless darkness of the night.
From beginning to end, Su Yi’s footsteps never stopped. He didn’t so much as turn his head.
The attendees had completely lost their cool. Startled cries rang up on all sides.
These old monsters can kill a man without even blinking, but that boy is far more domineering than them… Madam Goldenpin’s expression was grave, and her heart shook.
Earlier that night, the old blind man had rebuked her. At the time, she’d been resentful, and she was already planning her revenge.
However, after what she’d just seen, a chill coursed down her spine, and she inwardly rejoiced.
The Malevolent Sword Monarch, the Old Serpent of Tianyang Lake, and the middle-aged man in brocade robes were visibility unsettled too. Their expressions shifted back and forth.
The way Su Yi had cut down the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch filled them with terror.
Because by the time they sensed the danger, the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch was already dead!
“Wondrous! The boy’s murderous heart has thoroughly won my admiration. Should the opportunity arise, I’d love to see if I can touch his heart, convert him, and make him my subordinate,” the Heaven-Slaughtering Ghost Monk said warmly, clasping his hands together.
“In that case, why didn’t you take him down earlier?” a one-armed man in gray said coolly.
His hair and beard were disheveled, and he had a centipede-like scar on his left cheek. People called him the One-Armed Demon, and among the attendees, his status was comparable to long-established old devils like the Heaven-Slaughtering Ghost Monk, the White-Faced Daoist, and Old Ghost Thousand Eyes.
“Hehe, there’s no grudge between the boy and I, and I don’t want to cause unnecessary trouble just before we begin tonight’s operation,” the monk said with an amiable smile.
This declaration won widespread approval from the other attendees. They’d all gathered here tonight to vie for a grand stroke of fortune. None of them wanted unnecessary trouble.
“Alas, despite the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch’s skill, he died here tonight, just like that,” a man in ragged Daoist robes said wistfully. His face was as white as paper, and his eyes were an eerie blue.
The White-Faced Daoist!
He held a blood-colored fly-whisk as he sat upright on the ground. Although he was dressed like a Daoist, he emanated a sinister, imposing aura.
A raspy, unpleasant voice rang out. “Those who refuse to open their eyes naturally die quickly. Ultimately, the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch was still immature. Why didn’t he look around him? None of us recklessly stuck out our necks as he did. He brought his death upon himself.”
The speaker was an old man as thin as bamboo. His face was covered in wrinkles, and his eyes were turbid.
Old Ghost Thousand Eyes!
He was a heinous evildoer of mysterious origins.
The attendees’ eyes flashed.
These prominent old devils were famous for their brutality, but they’d lived this long nonetheless. None of them was stupid.
On the contrary, all of them had overcome numerous winds and waves. They might have found Su Yi distasteful earlier, but they hid it deep within their hearts.
By comparison, the Poison Dragon Mountain Monarch’s behavior really was a bit foolhardy.
The Jade Heaven Water Monarch looked at Wei Yun and smiled. “City Lord, you’ve remained calm even in the face of all these changes. Have you perhaps seen through those three’s origins?”
One sentence, and all eyes were upon Wei Yun.
Wei Yun said with a hint of self-deprecation, “It’s because I couldn’t discern their origins that I didn’t take action. Furthermore, they actually knew how to use Starmark Worms. That was truly unexpected. That’s why I found it difficult to keep them here when they wanted to leave.”
As he spoke, he swept his gaze across the attendees and said solemnly, “Everyone, the situation has changed. I suspect those three are after the same enormous stroke of good fortune as us, so we cannot delay. We must begin our expedition early.”
The attendees were instantly solemn.
But the Jade Heaven Water Monarch laughed. “Who in the River of Forgetfulness Territory doesn’t know that the Wei Family are the masters of Yama’s Floating Mountains? Even if others wish to seize this good fortune, I’m afraid they’ll have to ask your permission first.”
Wei Yun let out a long sigh. “Yama’s Floating Mountains cover eight thousand square miles, and it contains innumerable perils. Our Wei Family only occupies a corner of it. How could we be so brazen as to declare ourselves its owners?”
He then rose from his chair and made his decision. “Everyone, for now, let’s begin our operation and proceed to Yama’s Floating Mountains. As we make our way, I’ll naturally tell you about this operation in full detail.”
The group looked at each other, then nodded their agreement.
Over the years, the Wei Family’s power had always controlled and protected Nightdemon City.
Their reputation was enough to earn these old fiends’ trust.
Had anyone else invited them on a joint mission to obtain good fortune, there was no way they would have agreed to cooperate despite not understanding the situation at all.