Invincibility starts when I see the BOSS health bar.

Chapter 997 Empty Talk
Fang Yu was completely unaware that the atmosphere between the two was a little awkward, and he muttered a few words of criticism.

"I told you long ago, following the Juemen gang is unreliable."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet corridor.

Hei Ao frowned almost imperceptibly, while Zuo Lü pursed her lips. The two of them surprisingly chose to remain silent at the same time, as if they hadn't heard Fang Yu's complaint. They both turned their gazes elsewhere, letting the small awkwardness pass by.

Hei Ao cleared his throat, deliberately changing the subject, his tone returning to its usual calm: "I'll take Zuo Lü away first."

This was a plan they had agreed upon before they came.

Given Hei Ao and Zuo Lü's current strength, staying here would not only be of no help, but would also make Fang Yu feel constrained when negotiating with Lulu.

Now that Zuo Lü has been rescued, the most urgent task is to get her back to the safe Ouyang residence as soon as possible.

Upon hearing this, Zuo Lu turned to look at Fang Yu, her clear eyes filled with a barely perceptible concern. Her lips moved, but in the end, she only whispered, "Be careful."

Then, she quietly stood next to Hei Ao.

Fang Yu nodded, watching Hei Ao and Zuo Lü's figures quickly disappear into the depths of the corridor around the corner.

Fang Yu only slowly withdrew his gaze after confirming that they had left safely.

When he turned to Lulu again, his eyes had lost all trace of humanity, becoming sharp as a knife, cold and devoid of any warmth, as if his earlier concern for Zuo Lü had never existed.

“Since Zuo Lü is alright,” Fang Yu’s voice was deep and imposing, his chin slightly raised, carrying an unquestionable tone of command, “then, lead the way. Let me meet the ‘expert’ behind you and see who he is that would make you… take such a risk.”

Lulu took a deep breath, trying to suppress the complex emotions churning within her. She was both wary of Fang Yu's strength and aura, and nervous about facing Lord Jing.

She quickly composed herself, turned to the side, made a standard "please" gesture, and her voice returned to its usual cool tone, even carrying a hint of barely perceptible solemnity: "Please follow me."

Elder Yan Jin naturally followed silently.

To be honest, he was also very curious about Lulu's real backer in Beijing this time.

Lulu had always maintained a distant attitude towards him, her nominal "elder." It was less about trust and more about exploitation; she had never revealed any core secrets to him. Now, with her trusted confidants all gone, was she forced to bring this "outsider" into the inner circle?
This feeling of being "relyed on" made Elder Yan Jin feel a little strange, but he was an old hand at the world, and these emotions only flashed in his eyes. On his face, he still had a calm and indifferent look.

The three walked through the winding corridors and arrived at a secluded and heavily guarded room.

The heavy iron gate was secured with a heavy brass lock. The two guards at the gate, with their steady demeanor, immediately bowed and greeted Lulu: "Senior Sister Lulu!"

One of them quickly took out a key and unlocked the door.

Fang Yu and Elder Yan Jin filed in.

The room was simply furnished, almost empty, with only a few ordinary pieces of furniture.

As Fang Yu was wondering, he saw Lulu walk straight to a wall and casually press a few bricks.

Click... A slight mechanical sound rang out, and the wall silently slid open inward, revealing a deep, dark entrance that stretched downwards.

Without hesitation, Lulu took the lead and went downstairs.

A hint of surprise flashed in Fang Yu's eyes, and then he exchanged a glance with Elder Yan Jin. Both of them saw solemnity in each other's eyes.

Elder Yan Jin nodded slightly, and the two followed Lulu into the hidden underground space.

The steps weren't long, and we soon reached the bottom. Below was a small stone chamber, dimly lit, with only a few oil lamps on the walls casting a faint glow.

Lulu walked to the center of the stone chamber and carefully took out a palm-sized, simple-looking bronze mirror from her bosom.

She extended her slender fingers and gently rubbed them on the mirror surface a few times in a specific rhythm.

hum...

The mirror suddenly lit up with a soft light, and a wisp of smoke rose from it, quickly condensing and shaping in mid-air, eventually transforming into the image of an old man with white hair and beard and a gaunt face.

The old man, dressed in a brocade robe, was merely a phantom, yet the dignified air of someone who had long held a high position and wielded power he exuded caused the atmosphere in the entire stone chamber to freeze.

Fang Yu had never seen this person before, but alarm bells immediately went off in his mind!

Elder Yan Jin's pupils also contracted slightly, clearly sensing the invisible pressure emanating from the other party.

As Fang Yu and Elder Yan Jin cautiously examined the illusory smog, the old man's gaze swept over them as if it were a tangible object, finally locking onto Fang Yu with a scrutinizing and probing look.

After a moment, the old man's lips curled slightly, and he uttered a sigh that revealed neither joy nor anger: "A promising young man indeed..."

Lulu stepped forward at the opportune moment, bowed slightly, and respectfully introduced the two parties: "Lord Jing, these two are Young Master Diao Deyi and Elder Yan Jin of our sect."

She turned to Fang Yu and the other person, her voice clear: "This is Lord Jing, who holds an important position in the eight major branches of the imperial court."

Holding an important position within the Eight Meridians?

Although Lulu did not explicitly state her specific position, both Fang Yu and Elder Yan Jin instantly understood.

With such demeanor, and the respect Lulu showed him, and being at the core of the "Eight Veins," this person's identity is probably far from ordinary. He is very likely one of the few pavilion masters or mansion masters who truly hold the power of the court!

No wonder Lulu is so confident in her work in the capital... But just this is enough to make her dare to cause such trouble in the capital. It seems... that her influence is still a bit lacking? Or perhaps, this Lord Jing is hiding some other means, and is not just someone who holds an important position in the eight major factions of the court?
"Lord Jing." Fang Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute, showing respect, his voice neither humble nor arrogant.

The shrouded figure of Lord Jing nodded slightly, his gaze still fixed on Fang Yu, and slowly spoke, his voice carrying a quality that seemed to pierce through the void: "This must be the 'masked man' who has recently stirred up a storm in the capital and struck fear into the hearts of demons, right?"

"It is indeed me." Lulu must have explained the situation, so Fang Yu readily admitted it.

He then abruptly changed the subject, getting straight to the point, "I wonder why Lord Jing would use Lulu to send me to kill the demons in other families in the capital? What is the purpose of this?" His gaze was intense, trying to discern the truth from the other's face.

Upon hearing this, Lord Jing revealed a profound and unfathomable smile, as if he had already anticipated this question.

He stroked his ethereal beard, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority: "The capital city has long been stagnant, its problems too deep-seated. Sometimes, a few 'variables' are needed to break this stagnant state, allowing those who should rise to the surface to rise, and those who should sink to the bottom to sink. My actions are merely to inject a little 'living water' into the capital." His words were shrouded in mystery, watertight, a typical example of bureaucratic maneuvering.

Fang Yu sneered inwardly, knowing that the other party would not reveal their true intentions and that further questioning would be futile. He lost interest in continuing the game and simply gave a curt "Oh" before falling silent.

Lord Jing seemed unconcerned, turning his gaze to Elder Yan Jin beside him: "Elder Yan Jin, your sect's actions in the capital these past few days have greatly contributed to pushing forward the 'change of circumstances,' and I thank you for it."

His tone was flat, carrying the kind of routine praise a superior gives to a subordinate.

This condescending, bureaucratic manner, as if a leader were on an inspection tour, made Elder Yan Jin, who was used to the carefree and unrestrained life of the martial arts world, feel extremely uncomfortable, as if ants were crawling all over him.

He forced a smile and cupped his hands in greeting: "Lord Jing, you flatter me. It's just my duty."

He thought to himself: The manner of this high-ranking official in the capital is indeed hard to bear.

Since Lady Jing appeared, Lulu has stood quietly to the side, her head bowed and eyes lowered, like a well-behaved maid. She has not uttered a single word and has completely handed over the reins to the figure in the smoke.

Fang Yu's gaze was fixed on the illusory figure of Lord Jing.

If the other party were a physical entity, he might be able to discern its true nature and depth simply by looking at it. However, this was merely a phantom projected by some advanced device, and the skill did not react at all, failing to display any information, which made him even more wary.

“Last night,” Lord Jing spoke again, breaking the brief silence.

His voice was a few decibels lower than before, carrying a heavy tone, "A momentous event has occurred in the capital..."

Although he said that, his sharp eyes never left Fang Yu's face. The slight narrowing of his eyes made Fang Yu realize that what the other party was about to say was likely related to him, and that the other party was very concerned about his reaction!
Fang Yu's mind raced, but his expression remained calm. He simply shook his head slightly, his tone carrying just the right amount of doubt: "Last night? I was busy dealing with some personal matters and didn't notice. I wonder... what exactly happened?"

He skillfully extricated himself from the situation.

As for Elder Yan Jin, he simply shook his head to indicate that he knew nothing about it, and even if he did know, he would pretend not to know at this moment.

Lord Jing's smile vanished, replaced by an invisible aura that seemed to press down through the shadows. He slowly said, "I can tell you both about this matter. But..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them with a chilling warning, "This matter is of utmost importance. If even a single word of it gets out, it will be... a crime punishable by death! You two should be prepared for this."

Lose your head? Fang Yu scoffed inwardly, but outwardly he feigned seriousness and said in a deep voice, "Lord Jing, rest assured, we know what we're doing. Please tell us frankly."

Elder Yan Jin immediately put on a show of being trembling with fear and listening attentively, but in his heart he thought: At worst, I can just pack up and run back to the sect. The emperor is far away, what can you do to me?
Lord Jing seemed satisfied with the two men's "attitudes" before slowly speaking, his voice carrying a deliberately crafted heaviness and chilling tone: "Last night, a man died. Because of his death, the entire court is now in a state of panic, with undercurrents surging! The entire capital will be engulfed in a... bloodbath!"

He paused deliberately, observing their reactions, before continuing, "This morning at court, all the ministers, including myself, were trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice. However... what is most unsettling is that, despite such a momentous event, His Majesty has yet to appear!"

He paused again, letting the eerie atmosphere fill the stone chamber: "His Majesty has not shown himself, uttered a word, or issued a decree... This situation, on the contrary, has made all the civil and military officials even more... uneasy! A storm is brewing..."

Fang Yu frowned. The buildup was heavy enough, even though he didn't really feel it.

He asked directly, "Who exactly died that could cause such turmoil in the court, even... alarming the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this, Lord Jing suddenly raised his head, and his eyes, which were made of smoke, suddenly became extremely sharp, like two solid swords, piercing straight at Fang Yu!

That gaze seemed to pierce through his skin, reaching the depths of his soul, to uncover all the secrets he had hidden!
He spoke each word slowly and deliberately, his voice cold and clear, like a heavy hammer striking a stone wall:

"The one who died last night was none other than—the seventh prince of the Great Xia Dynasty, Lord Hei Tianxia!"

what? !

Fang Yu and Elder Yan Jin gasped almost simultaneously, their pupils contracting sharply, their faces instantly filled with disbelief and shock!
The Seventh Prince?!

Those were true descendants of dragons and phoenixes, of incomparably noble status!
He actually died last night?!

The news struck them like a bolt from the blue, leaving their minds reeling.

However, before the two could recover from this huge shock, Lord Jing's figure, which was formed from smoke, suddenly "leaned" forward, and an invisible and huge sense of oppression descended, as if the air in the entire stone chamber had frozen!
His sharp eyes were fixed on Fang Yu, and his voice suddenly rose, carrying an almost interrogative edge.

"Diao Deyi! The entire chain reaction last night was caused by you! It was you who acted rashly in the street, causing a huge disturbance and attracting everyone's attention! Then, the demons took advantage of the chaos to wreak havoc, completely disrupting the attention of the entire capital! It was this series of events that created excellent cover and confusion for some people, giving them an opportunity to find the fatal chance to assassinate His Highness the Seventh Prince!"

His voice, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around Fang Yu's ear:

"Tell me! Are you connected to those assassins? Do you know anything? This is your last chance! Now, immediately, tell me everything you know! I can assure you that as long as you confess, I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety!"

Lord Jing spoke his last sentence with unwavering authority, but deep within his eyes, which were fixed on Fang Yu, gleamed scrutiny, suspicion, and a cold, all-encompassing ruthlessness.

However, he seemed a little too certain.

Moreover, by stating things so bluntly, it seems to indicate that he doesn't actually believe these matters have anything to do with a nobody like Fang Yu.

Having glimpsed the details in an instant, Fang Yu said, both frank and astonished, "Lord Jing, I... I'm innocent!"

(End of this chapter)