Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 254 Dead City and the Killing of Ye Nantian (8.8k long chapter)

The imperial envoy's original plan was to go to Sanchuan County. One reason was the need for supplies. The second was to investigate and understand the current situation in Jianbei Prefecture. Along the way, they hadn't even encountered many living people and were completely unaware of the situation in Jianbei Prefecture.

Huang Ziming naturally had no objection to Zhang Yuankang's suggestion to travel together to Sanchuan County.

There were quite a few county soldiers and constables, more than a hundred of them, escorting a dozen or so members of the Wusheng Sect and three or four hundred refugees to lead the way, while the imperial envoy's entourage followed behind.

The refugees were in poor condition; they had been starving and cold for a long time, were in low spirits, and many were sick. They moved very slowly, taking from morning till night to cover a distance of only about ten miles.

It was almost dark when we finally arrived in Sanchuan County.

Some county officials were waiting at the city gate to welcome the imperial envoy, but the one leading them was the county clerk; the county magistrate of Sanchuan County did not come.

Zhang Yuankang's face was very unpleasant. Although he was obsequious in front of Xiao Ziyin, it was because Xiao Ziyin's status was too high; she was the eldest princess of the Chu Kingdom.

But it's a different story when it comes to the local officials of Jiang State. Not to mention that he is an imperial envoy with the privilege of meeting officials of a higher rank, he himself is the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, someone these local officials would beg and plead for but could not get an audience with. Moreover, as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, he controls the promotion of all local officials and is superior to everyone else wherever he goes. How dare this mere magistrate of Sanchuan County be so disrespectful!
The county magistrate noticed the change in Zhang Yuankang's expression and quickly explained, "Your Excellency, Magistrate Song originally intended to personally greet you, but..."

Zhang Yuankang said coldly, "But what?"

“Alas,” the county magistrate sighed, “you will know once you enter the city.”

The county officials all looked helpless.

This puzzled Zhang Yuankang, Gu Mo, and the others.

Immediately, the imperial envoy's entourage proceeded into the city.

Huang Ziming led the county soldiers and constables, escorting the Wusheng Sect members and many refugees into the city.

The cold wind rustled as snowflakes danced in the air. The main street of Sanchuan County snaked like a frozen snake amidst the swirling snow. The doors of the taverns and cloth shops on both sides were tightly shut, and the faded banners were stretched straight by the wind, like funeral banners hanging around the neck of the old city.

Just as the imperial envoy's entourage had fully entered the city, a large number of people quickly poured out from the street corners and alleys on both sides. Soon, the streets were crowded with a dense crowd of ordinary people, all dressed in rags, including men, women, the old and the young, all hysterically crying out for justice.

"Your Excellency, please seek justice for us!"

"My son was arrested and his fate is unknown just because he drank a bowl of water..."

"My husband was beaten to death just for going out to buy some food!"

"..."

Immediately, the soldiers in the imperial envoy's entourage rushed forward to form a human wall and block those people.

Upon seeing this, all the civilians immediately knelt on the ground.

"What's going on?" Zhang Yuankang asked.

The county magistrate standing beside him sighed and said, "Your Excellency, this is why Magistrate Song did not come to greet you. He received word that these common people would come to you to seek justice."

Zhang Yuankang immediately signaled his men to go and inquire.

A short while later, the subordinate returned and said, "Sir, these people all say that someone in their family has been wrongly accused of being a traitor of the Wusheng Sect and arrested, but the county government refuses to release them. They have come to beg you to uphold justice."

Zhang Yuankang's pupils contracted slightly as he looked at the county magistrate.

The county magistrate sighed and said, "Given the current situation in Jianbei County, what can the county government do? It's inevitable that people will be wrongly arrested. The county government simply doesn't have the energy to investigate each case. The government is already short-staffed. If a large amount of manpower is wasted on these matters, then we won't be able to effectively combat the spread of the Wusheng Sect, and the consequences will be immeasurable."

Zhang Yuankang said in a deep voice: "So, there really was a wrongful arrest?"

The county magistrate nodded and said, "It's certain that there were wrongful arrests, but there's nothing I can do. The Wusheng Sect is everywhere and impossible to defend against. Even in this city now, there are Wusheng Sect traitors hiding everywhere. These people are all obsessed. We've arrested many, but we haven't found any clues about the leaders of the Wusheng Sect."

As for the people who were wrongly arrested, I can only apologize. Our county government has limited resources and cannot verify each case. But…”

The county magistrate pointed to the people crying out for justice and said, "But, we can be sure that there are definitely not that many people who have been wronged. When we carry out arrest missions, we usually set up a perimeter in advance and only arrest people after we have identified the target. There may be wrongful arrests, but not that many."

So many people are coming to cry foul. Leaving aside whether there are actually that many wronged people, the very act of coming to cry foul is suspicious. They are all ordinary people; how could they possibly know the whereabouts of the imperial envoy? And how could they have formed such a large-scale coordinated action in such a short time?

Zhang Yuankang frowned and said, "What do you mean?"

The county magistrate said, "The gentry and wealthy families in the city are pulling the strings behind the scenes, their aim being to use a proxy to kill Magistrate Song through the imperial envoy. That's why Magistrate Song didn't come to greet you; he was afraid you'd be caught in a dilemma, and he was also afraid the people would riot upon seeing him."

Lord Zhang, you can go and take a walk around the city. There are refugee camps everywhere and many people who have no food. Even if they only have one or two bowls of thin porridge a day, the amount of grain they need is enormous. This grain was all forcibly taken from the gentry and wealthy families by the county magistrate, and there are explicit regulations prohibiting the raising of grain prices.

You should understand what this means, Lord Zhang. Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. The gentry and wealthy families in the city all hate Magistrate Song. However, due to the current chaos in Jianbei County, the forces behind them cannot suppress Magistrate Song. They cannot deal with Magistrate Song for the time being. Otherwise, they would have gotten rid of Magistrate Song long ago.

Now that the imperial envoy has arrived, it's a golden opportunity for them. As for the common people, some may genuinely have grievances, but most are simply being used. Public opinion can kill without shedding blood; I implore Lord Zhang to investigate thoroughly!

Zhang Yuankang waved his hand and said, "I will investigate myself. Alright, you find a way to disperse those people!"

The county magistrate hurriedly said, "Sir, if we forcibly disperse them now, it may cause unrest. Please condescend to take a detour."

Zhang Yuankang frowned, somewhat troubled. He didn't care about taking a detour, but he was worried that Xiao Ziyin, sitting in the carriage, wouldn't be willing.

However, at that moment, he heard Xiao Ziyin's voice transmission, telling him to take a detour.

Immediately, Zhang Yuankang said, "Take a detour."

immediately,

Led by the county magistrate, the imperial envoy's entourage left through a side alley, while Huang Ziming escorted the refugees to the refugee camp.

In the evening, there are few people in the alleys, but occasionally some houses are lit up, and sometimes someone is peering out from the doorway.

Overall, it was rather deserted and desolate. However, considering the current situation of Jianbei County, the fact that Sanchuan County still had so many people and was able to maintain order was enough to show that the county magistrate, Song Yi, was a capable and virtuous official.

Gu Mo and his group had a fairly good impression of Magistrate Song. He was willing to risk his future and even his life to offend the gentry and wealthy families in order to protect the lives of ordinary people. Although his methods in handling the arrest of members of the Wusheng Cult were a bit harsh, none of Gu Mo's group felt that Magistrate Song had done anything wrong.

Although some civilians were wrongly arrested, given the current situation, a lenient approach could very well result in the deaths of the entire city's inhabitants.

Soon,
After passing through several alleys, the imperial envoy's entourage arrived at the county residence, which was specially used to receive visiting officials.

Gu Mo and the others also met Song Yi, the magistrate of Sanchuan County. He was a middle-aged man around forty years old, with dark skin, tall and thin, and looked somewhat tired, but his demeanor still gave people a very capable feeling.

"Your humble servant, Song Yi, greets Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy!"

Song Yi stood at the door, bowing respectfully, his tone neither obsequious nor arrogant.

Zhang Yuankang cupped his hands and said, "Magistrate Song, there's no need for such formalities." Then, he beckoned his subordinates over, handed over the items containing all the necessary identification documents to Song Yi, and said, "Magistrate Song, you may verify my identity."

Song Yi accepted the items without hesitation.

This is a necessary procedure. Local governments have designated personnel responsible for verification. Whether it is an imperial envoy or a newly appointed official, their identity must be verified by the local government before it can be officially confirmed.

Song Yi said, “Lord Zhang, Sanchuan County has been hit by snow disasters for several months, and the imperial court’s relief grain has been delayed. There is not much food in the city now, and there is no good wine or meat. Therefore, I can only provide you with some simple meals. However, there will definitely be a place to sleep. Please forgive me if the hospitality is inadequate. This is all the conditions I have. I will explain the situation first. If there is anything you find uncomfortable, you will have to find your own way.”

The way Magistrate Song spoke made Zhang Yuankang very uncomfortable. It was too harsh and he didn't seem to respect the imperial envoy at all.

However, upon closer reflection, this makes sense. After all, someone who dares to risk their life to defend the city and protect the people at this critical moment is unlikely to be the kind of person who knows how to be flexible or flatter.

Zhang Yuankang waved his hand and said, "I did not come to Jianbei County for personal enjoyment. If I were, I would not have come here. Therefore, Magistrate Song can rest assured."

"That's good."

Song Yi cupped his hands in greeting and said, "It's already dark, so I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll come again tomorrow and take you on an inspection tour. Then I'll report to you in person!"

Zhang Yuankang nodded slightly.

Song Yi bowed deeply, then immediately turned and left without any hesitation.

Watching Song Yi leave,

Xiao Ziyin chuckled and said, "This Magistrate Song is a man of action. If all the high-ranking officials in the Jiang Kingdom were like him, Jianbei County would probably not be in this state now!"

Zhang Yuankang looked embarrassed, but dared not refute Xiao Ziyin, and said awkwardly, "Your Highness is right."

Xiao Ziyin smiled and said nothing more.

The group then entered the county residence.

The living conditions in this county residence were actually quite ordinary. However, the weather along the way had been so terrible, and we had mostly been in the wilderness. Compared to that, this rather ordinary county residence felt very comfortable. At least it was clean everywhere and there were no leaks that caused water to accumulate inside.

Moreover, the county magistrate immediately ordered someone to bring over steaming hot porridge. Although it was just ordinary rice porridge, it was still quite appetizing in the current environment.

At the dinner table, Gu Mo and the others were drinking porridge, but Zhuo Qingfeng was poking around in his bowl with his chopsticks. Ye Jinglan, sitting next to him, nudged Zhuo Qingfeng and asked, "Brother Zhuo, what are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."

Zhuo Qingfeng seemed to wake up from a dream and said, "It's nothing, it just feels a bit strange."

"What's strange about this place?" Ye Jinglan asked, puzzled.

"I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just feel that there's something strange about Sanchuan County," Zhuo Qingfeng said.

Gu Chudong asked, "Brother Zhuo, when did you start feeling strange?"

"I felt something was off last night in the market town, and the feeling got even stronger after we got to the city." Zhuo Qingfeng frowned and said, "It seems like I've overlooked something. Oh well, let's eat first and get a good rest tonight. Tomorrow I'll go to the county government office to check for clues related to the Wusheng Sect, and then I should be able to figure it out."

Immediately, the group began to drink the porridge.

……

In the refugee camp in Sanchuan County.

At this moment, Huang Ziming was leading a group of constables and county soldiers to escort about three hundred refugees and a dozen or so members of the Wusheng Sect into the refugee camp.

The refugee camp was quite large, with rows of densely packed, makeshift houses covered in thick snow under the cover of night. Yet, the vast camp was remarkably quiet.

The refugees were led to an open space where more than a dozen large pots were burning, filled with thick porridge. The aroma of the porridge filled the air, and the refugees couldn't help but swallow their saliva.

Many people began to regret their actions. If they had known that the food in the refugee camp was so good, why did they listen to those Wusheng cult members who told them that they only needed a bowl of thin porridge to survive each day?
"Sir...sir..."

A refugee mustered his courage and asked, "This...refugee camp...does it...feel this good every day?"

Huang Ziming said calmly, "Having only one thick bowl of porridge and one thin bowl of porridge a day is good enough to survive. You expect to eat this well every meal?"

The refugees immediately became restless.

Some people even knelt on the ground and wailed, crying out that they should not have listened to the deception of the Wusheng Cult and should have come to the refugee camp long ago.

Suddenly, the refugee camp became noisy.

"Alright!" Huang Ziming shouted, circulating his inner energy. "Everyone, line up and come forward to receive today's porridge."

Immediately, the refugees began to line up very enthusiastically.

Soon, about twenty people lined up in a row and started receiving their porridge. Everyone who received their porridge couldn't wait to start eating, and no one cared whether the porridge was hot or not. These people hadn't eaten such thick white porridge in a long time. Although it was plain white porridge, it tasted as delicious as delicacies.

At the edge of the open space, a group of county constables held torches and stared silently at the refugees who were wolfing down their food. The torchlight shone on their faces, flickering and creating an eerie and terrifying scene.

On the gloomy open ground, hundreds of ragged refugees held earthenware bowls, murky porridge dripping from their cracked lips. Their backs were hunched, their Adam's apples bobbing violently, and the sounds of them swallowing rose and fell like ravenous wolves tearing at their prey.

Suddenly, the sound of a bowl shattering on the ground broke the silence. The person who had shattered it pressed their temples tightly with both hands, staggered a couple of steps, and collapsed to the ground. Immediately afterward, groups of refugees collapsed and fainted in the snow.

And at this moment,
The snapping sound of the rope breaking suddenly rang out, and the Wusheng Sect members who had been bound all stood up and stood with the county constables.

Huang Ziming stood with his hands behind his back under the eaves, his gold-embroidered official robe fluttering even without wind. He tapped his fingertips lightly, his voice like a poisoned dagger: "Drag them all in and deal with them!"

The county soldiers and constables roughly dragged the refugees by their ankles into a nearby house, where they found rows of wooden planks.

The county soldiers and constables neatly arranged the unconscious refugees on the wooden planks, then drew their knives. The sound of the blades slicing through their throats was uniform, and warm blood gushed out, winding its way through the grooves like a river, gleaming with an eerie rust color under the moonlight.

Then, with great skill, they stripped off the clothes and dismembered the body. From a distance, it looked like a slaughterhouse still operating late at night.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood.

Huang Ziming slowly left, seemingly disappearing into the darkness, and walked towards the county government office. The city was deathly silent; not a sound could be heard.

Soon, Huang Ziming arrived at the county government office and entered a large hall.

At this moment, a large group of people had gathered in the hall, including County Magistrate Song Yi and County Assistant Magistrate. However, both the magistrate and the assistant magistrate were seated very far back.

Those seated at the front were all quite distinctive, with several figures at the very front resembling ghostly messengers from the netherworld, each occupying a different spot. The first on the left was an old man draped in a blood-red crane cloak, with a bluish-purple venomous snake coiled around his fingertips. Any seasoned martial artist present would surely recognize him as the Snake King, the third protector of the Moon Worshiping Sect.

Below the Snake King was a woman whose body was wrapped in bandages, with black blood seeping from the gaps in the bandages. She held a puppet the size of a child in her arms, with three fresh eyeballs embedded in the joints, which were turning strangely with her breathing. She was clearly the Sixth Protector of the Moon Worship Cult, Lady Jiedao.

The other people were also masters of the demonic path.

This is no longer the Sanchuan County Government Office; it is a gathering place for demonic forces!
In the center is a black-robed figure wearing a skull mask.

Huang Ziming entered the main hall and bowed to the man in black, saying, "This subordinate greets the sect leader."

There is only one person who can be called the leader in front of so many high-ranking members of the Moon Worship Cult, and that is Ye Nantian, the number one expert in the demonic path and the leader of the Moon Worship Cult.

Ye Nantian asked in a deep voice, "What's the situation outside?"

"Reporting to the Master, Gu Mo and his group did not engage in any unusual behavior," Huang Ziming said.

Ye Nantian nodded slightly, looked at a middle-aged man beside him, and asked, "Is the time up yet?"

The middle-aged man was barefoot and had his hair down. He held a compass in his hand, which had seventy-two talisman marks on it. Each talisman was oozing blood. This man was Yin Xiucai, the first protector of the Moon Worshiping Sect, and was known as the number one array master in the world.

At this moment, Yin Xiucai was squatting on the ground, and in front of him was a sand table. The scene in the sand table was a miniature version of Sanchuan County, but instead of centering on the county government office, it was centered on the county residence where officials came and went.

He muttered incantations, pointed two fingers, and the sand table emitted bursts of light, actually evolving into a series of magic arrays. He slowly said, "Master, wait two quarters of an hour, and we will enter the time when the Yin energy is at its strongest tonight. At that time, the power of the World-Destroying Array will be at its peak. When that time comes, killing Gu Mo will surely be a success!"

……

Inside the county residence.

Apart from the soldiers on patrol and night watch, everyone else in the imperial envoy's entourage had already rested.

Zhuo Qingfeng tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. He kept turning over and over, his mind racing. Suddenly, at a certain moment, a flash of inspiration seemed to appear in his mind, and he sat up abruptly.

He immediately went out, walked next door, and knocked on the door.

Soon, the door opened, and Ye Jinglan said speechlessly, "What's wrong, Brother Zhuo? Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night?"

Zhuo Qingfeng said in a deep voice, "Brother Ye, I've figured out what's wrong."

Ye Jinglan asked in confusion, "Where?"

Zhuo Qingfeng said, "There are two things that are not right. First, last night in the market town, County Lieutenant Huang Ziming led the county soldiers and constables to arrest those people from the Wusheng Sect. There is something strange that we have overlooked. The Wusheng Sect members said that they were not afraid of death, but their resistance was not very fierce."

Ye Jinglan thought for a moment and said, "That's normal. Last night, there weren't many experts among the Wusheng Sect members, while Huang Ziming was quite skilled. Moreover, the constables and county soldiers he brought should all be elites carefully selected. The disparity in strength was too great, so it's normal that the resistance wasn't fierce."

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded slightly and said, "That does make sense, but there is another strange thing. After we entered the city today, on our way to this county residence, something very strange happened."

"What is it?" Ye Jinglan asked.

"Not a single child!" Zhuo Qingfeng exclaimed. "We've passed at least fifty or sixty households along the way, and not only have we not seen a single child, but we haven't even heard a child cry. With so many of us, we've made quite a commotion. Even if survival in Jianbei County is difficult now, surely not all the children have starved or frozen to death?"

Furthermore, there was another very strange point: the people along the way, seeing so many of us, including county officials and soldiers, showed no fear. Those outside remained outside, not immediately running inside to hide. This was illogical. Logically, with the Sanchuan County government's large-scale arrests of the Wusheng Sect, including so many wrongful arrests, the people should be filled with fear. Those people shouldn't have been so calm upon seeing officials!

After listening to Zhuo Qingfeng's analysis, Ye Jinglan frowned and said, "What you're saying is a bit strange... Shall we go and investigate now?"

"go!"

The two immediately left the county residence and quickly returned along the route they had taken during the day.

When we arrived at those residential areas...
They immediately sensed something was wrong; it was too quiet.

Zhuo Qingfeng walked to a house that he clearly remembered being inhabited during the day and knocked on the door.

The knocking sounded crisp and clear in the night.

However, no one responded after knocking for a while.

The two exchanged a glance, and Zhuo Qingfeng kicked the door open and rushed in.

"no one!"

Both of their expressions changed slightly.

Immediately, the two ran towards other houses and searched seven or eight houses, but no one was home. What was even stranger was that although people were living there during the day, the signs inside the houses clearly indicated that they had been uninhabited for a long time.

"Let's go and see other places!" Ye Jinglan suggested.

Zhuo Qingfeng nodded.

Immediately, both of them used their lightness skills to fly away to other places.

however,
Empty, empty, all empty!
The more they searched, the more terrified they became, even to the point of feeling a chill run down their spines.

Because not only were the people they had seen during the day gone, but the entire city was a ghost town. Although they hadn't explored the whole city, they had crossed seven or eight streets without seeing a single person. The houses and courtyards showed signs of long-term abandonment.

The two quickly returned to the county residence.

"Get up quickly, something's happened!"

Ye Jinglan circulated his inner strength and shouted, instantly waking up the entire imperial envoy team who were resting in the county residence.

Gu Mo, Gu Chudong, and Xiao Ziyin were the first to respond, and all three quickly went out into the courtyard.

"What's wrong, Brother Ye!" Gu Chudong asked hurriedly.

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, "There's no one here. There's not a single person. Brother Zhuo and I just went out for a walk. Sanchuan County is a ghost town. We didn't see a single person."

Xiao Ziyin frowned and asked, "What exactly happened?"

Zhuo Qingfeng said, "I felt something was wrong with what I saw during the day, so I called Brother Ye to go out and take a look. As it turned out, not only were the people we saw on our way here gone, but there wasn't a single person in any of the other streets or residential areas. In fact, it seemed like no one had lived there for a long time. It was a ghost town!"

Xiao Ziyin's pupils contracted slightly, and he said, "So, we've been tricked!"

Zhuo Qingfeng said, "I'm afraid that the people who ran out to cry for justice when we entered the city today were deliberately arranged to make us take a detour into the alleys. Only in that way could we create the illusion that someone was there to deceive us. If we had taken the main street, there would have been a maze of alleys and no way to create the illusion."

Xiao Ziyin picked up the thread and said, "In other words, there's something wrong with Sanchuan County. Our chance encounter with the county magistrate arresting the Wusheng Sect in the market town last night was also a deliberately arranged coincidence. They then fabricated a story about the Sanchuan County magistrate sacrificing his personal future and even his life for the people, so that we would preconceive that the people at the city gate today were instructed to block the road, and then we took a detour to come here."

"Then, what is the purpose?" Ye Jinglan asked.

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "Go, retreat immediately... Hmm, it's too late!"

As Gu Mo spoke, the earth suddenly emitted a muffled rumble, as if a giant dragon lurking underground had suddenly turned over. The surface cracked open with countless fissures like shattered pottery shards, and bluish-gray dust, carrying soil, shot into the sky.

The sound of beams breaking came from the house that collapsed first. The three houses collapsed like building blocks as they shook violently, and broken bricks and wooden beams poured down like a torrential rain.

Gu Mo and the others quickly used their lightness skills to leap into the air.

Then they saw the building that had collapsed on the left suddenly rise up as if it were alive, transforming into whistling projectiles amidst the twisting earthquake, hurtling towards them.

Gu Mo's pupils contracted sharply, and his palm strike was like a knife slashing out. The air emitted a piercing shriek, and the enormous thing was shattered into dust under the force of his palm. But amidst the flying dust, large swathes of building debris suddenly emerged from the ruins in all directions.

Countless broken walls and ruins swept in like a black tide. Gu Chudong swung his knife and shattered the half-stone pillar that was coming towards him, but Zhuo Qingfeng suddenly turned around and swung his sword, splitting the stone fragments.

Just as the two were about to fall, Gu Mo stretched out his hands and grabbed their shoulders like iron clamps. At the instant the ground cracked open like a spider web, he threw them with all his might onto the city wall two or three hundred feet away.

As for Ye Jinglan and Xiao Ziyin, both possessed extremely strong fighting spirit and profound martial arts skills, they didn't need Gu Mo's help at all. To be precise, Gu Chudong didn't actually need Gu Mo's help in this situation either; only Zhuo Qingfeng's martial arts were somewhat unable to withstand the attack.

The moment Gu Mo threw Zhuo Qingfeng and Gu Chudong away, he turned around and swung his palms repeatedly. The two houses that were flying at an angle exploded into pieces under the force of his palms. Countless gleaming iron chains shot out from the debris, each wrapped with sharp barbs.

Even more terrifying, the ground suddenly churned like boiling mud, and hundreds of iron chains burst forth from the earth, instantly weaving an impenetrable cage beneath Gu Mo's feet, completely bypassing Ye Jinglan and Xiao Ziyin. Amidst the clanging of chain links, Gu Mo was encircled by a ten-foot-high iron wall formed by the noose, the sharp spikes gleaming with a ghostly blue venomous sheen.

"Are you coming for me?"

Gu Mo's pupils immediately contracted. This move was too targeted; it was clearly aimed at him.

However, just as the chains were about to close, his figure suddenly turned into a faint afterimage, disappearing in an instant like a wisp of smoke. He had teleported away, standing with his hands behind his back twenty feet in the air, his robes fluttering in the dust, the cold glint in his eyes even colder than the noose beneath his feet.

And at that very moment,

Dozens of buildings and huge boulders flew in from all directions and crashed together, instantly pressing down on the ground.

A cold light gleamed in Gu Mo's eyes.

Clearly, the other party was specifically targeting him. If he hadn't used the "Sharing Light and Dust" teleportation technique, but instead used normal lightness skill, he would definitely have been smashed into the ground.

At this moment, the earth was still convulsing, undulating like waves, and the affected area was getting wider and wider. At this moment, the county residence had completely collapsed and shattered, and the fate of many members of the imperial envoy team was unknown.

Ye Jinglan, Xiao Ziyin, and the others did not possess Gu Mo's ability to float in mid-air; they could only use their lightness skills to quickly fly away and dodge.

Gu Mo floated in the air, his eyes searching around but unable to find the other party's whereabouts. He was flying high now and could see clearly that the buildings in this county town were all a magic array, and the enemies were hiding in it.

"The zither is here!"

Gu Mo reached out, and Gu Chudong on the city wall immediately threw out the Heavenly Demon Harp. Instantly, the Heavenly Demon Harp streaked across the night sky like a shooting star and landed in Gu Mo's hand.

"Let's see how long you ground rats can hide!"

Gu Mo snorted coldly, pulled on the strings, and the strings suddenly stretched to a straight line, vibrating in his palm with fine ripples. Suddenly, a piercing, sharp sound like shattering glass filled the air. The first to explode was the clock tower three streets away. Its dome melted like honey in the sound waves, and the bronze hour hand shattered into hundreds of spinning blades, which clashed with metal as they embedded themselves in the wooden wall of the opposite restaurant.

Immediately afterwards, Gu Mo quickly plucked the strings.

The sound waves spread out in a fan shape from him, causing the bluestone slabs to ripple and tremble like the surface of water, and the rock veins buried deep underground to emit muffled thuds as if they could not bear the weight.

The entire city seemed to be contained within a swaying glass goblet, with rows of roof tiles fluttering like black butterflies, shattering into dust in mid-air.

Those who tried to hide by taking advantage of the terrain could no longer conceal themselves, and a dense crowd of one or two thousand people emerged from all directions, led by a black-robed man wearing a skull mask.

Gu Mo couldn't determine the identity of the masked man in black robes, but he could tell from the people around him that the man must be Ye Nantian. Gu Mo had seen the portraits of the high-ranking wanted criminals of the Moon Worship Cult, and at this moment, he saw three of the seven protectors. These three protectors were standing respectfully behind the man in black robes, so it wasn't hard to guess that the man in black robes was Ye Nantian.

"You are Ye Nantian!" Gu Mo asked.

Ye Nantian stood atop a tilted skyscraper, his black robes billowing in the wind, exuding an air of dominance. He uttered a deep, resonant voice: "It is indeed I, Gu Mo, and you..."

Before Ye Nantian could finish speaking,

As Gu Mo reached out, two swords flew over. One sword, pure white, landed in Gu Mo's hand; it was his Taixu Flying Sword. The other was the Yuanhong Sword.

In that instant, the world within a radius of several dozen feet turned black and white, and Gu Mo instantly teleported in front of Ye Nantian. He held the Taixu Sword in his left hand and the Yuanhong Sword in his right, with the vertical sword in his left hand and the horizontal sword in his right, unleashing the Hundred Steps Flying Sword and the Horizontal Sword in all directions.

The sword's shadow was like a lone star drifting in the night sky.
It rapidly magnified in Ye Nantian's pupils.

Ye Nantian didn't even see how the other person moved before his gasp was caught in mid-air.

A white crack was drawn in the black and white world. This crack was not a flat trajectory, but a tangible tear in space, revealing the flowing starlight behind it—the sword energy that should have been a hundred feet away was now close to Ye Nantian's throat the moment it was unsheathed.

The air around the sword was compressed into transparent prisms, and each facet reflected Gu Mo's icy reflection, as if a thousand of him were simultaneously thrusting the sword.

In an instant, amidst the flash of sword light,

Gu Mo had already appeared behind Ye Nantian.

Blood-red light appeared on Ye Nantian's body, then shattered instantly, his body splitting into pieces and exploding with a bang.

(End of this chapter)