Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 41: The Killing Trap (5k views, please vote)

When the name "Long Wenluo" is spoken,

Many of the people present showed expressions of surprise and fear.

Because Long Wenluo is the name of the White Snake Fairy in the legend of Tang Yu and the White Snake Fairy.

Immediately,

Tang Yu flew into a rage, his hair and beard bristling, and roared, "You lowly scoundrels, how dare you mock me like this!"

Before he finished speaking, he had already sprung up, soaring into the air like a roc spreading its wings. His right hand gripped the silver-white Broken Void Shuttle, and with the infusion of his inner force, the shuttle shimmered with a dazzling silver light, as if he were holding a bolt of lightning.

He flicked his wrist repeatedly, and the Broken Void Shuttle shot out in front of him one after another.

"Whoosh whoosh-"

Eight extremely sharp bursts of energy shot out from the tip of the shuttle, as fast as shooting stars, leaving eight visible silver trails in the air, heading straight for the giant white snake coiled on the roof.

The first burst of energy pierced through the white snake's head.

The second and third lines pierce through the snake's body.

The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth arrows followed closely behind, riddling the giant white snake with countless holes.

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however--

There was no blood splattering, no scales shattering.

Those eight powerful energies, capable of splitting stone tablets and shattering rocks, seemed to have shot into the air, passing through the white snake's body without any hindrance and disappearing straight into the night behind.

"Boom! Boom! Boom—"

The force struck an old tree behind the white snake, snapping the thick trunk in two, and the upper half of the crown crashed down, sending branches and leaves flying.

Immediately afterward, the remaining force of the energy shot into the blue brick wall behind the ancient tree. With several muffled "thuds," eight bowl-sized holes were pierced through the thick brick wall, sending fragments of brick flying and dust billowing everywhere.

The edges of the hole were smooth as if they had been cut by a sharp blade, and fragments of brick and stone drifted in the air.

At the same time, Pan Lin led several disciples of the Mechanical Sect to fly out as well.

Pan Lin held a short knife in his hand, its blade flashing like snow, and cleaved straight at the white snake's vital spot.

Several disciples of the Mechanical Gate, each wielding a weapon, attacked from all sides, their swords and blades flashing coldly.

The short sword struck the white snake as if it were striking a cloud of smoke, passing through without any resistance.

The longsword pierced the snake's belly as if it were piercing empty space; the blade passed right through it without drawing a drop of blood. The iron rod struck the snake's head, the rod passing directly through the snake's skull.

The weapons of the disciples from the Mechanical Gate all missed their mark, and they staggered, nearly falling over from the force of their movements. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.

next moment--

The enormous white snake's body began to blur, the shimmering white luster on its scales gradually dimmed, and its outline, like ink drops falling into water, vanished in the moonlight in an instant, as if it had never existed.

The rooftop was empty, with only the tree canopy and walls pierced by the force of the energy, and shattered tiles scattered on the ground.

Tang Yu landed back on the ground, his robes fluttering in the night wind. He gazed in the direction the white snake had vanished, and sneered, his voice tinged with disdain: "I thought it was some amazing technique, but it's nothing more than a mere illusion!"

Just then, the woman's voice rang out again from all directions, still gentle, still ethereal, but now carrying a deep-seated resentment and sorrow:

"Tang Yu, you betrayed my sincere heart back then, skinned me alive, and tore my bones apart, turning everything I had into a path to advancement for you. Now, I have been reincarnated to make you pay the price—I will take back everything you owe me, bit by bit."

The sound echoed in the night sky.

The next moment, the swarm of snakes began to attack.

The venomous snakes that had been lurking in the streets, on rooftops, in wall cracks, and under tiles seemed to have received a command at the same time, raising their heads in unison, their scarlet tongues flicking in and out.

Then, countless snakes surged in from all directions like a gray tide.

Even more frightening is that many snakes lurk in the shadows, suddenly shooting out from cracks in doors, windows, and floor tiles, catching people off guard.

In an instant, screams and cries of alarm rose and fell. Many martial artists were bitten by venomous snakes, their faces quickly turning blue, foaming at the mouth, and convulsing.

A fierce battle between humans and snakes ensued.

……

at the same time,

The people in Snake Mountain Town had all been awakened and rushed out, causing chaos throughout the town.

Amid the chaos, two figures stood out from the crowd: a man and a woman.

The man was Zhang Donglou, son of Zhang Jiexi, the current Left Chancellor, while the woman beside him wore a white dress and had her face covered with a veil. The two walked side by side through the chaotic crowd.

Soon, the two reached the riverbank and boarded a covered boat.

Zhang Donglou lay languidly on the boat, an oil lamp burning in front of him, its dim light illuminating the woman. However, her face was hidden by a veil, and only her peach-shaped eyes, shimmering with allure, could be seen.

"Young Master Zhang," the woman said, "are you eager to see what I look like?"

Zhang Donglou chuckled and said, "I'm naturally curious about the famous Azure Dragon of the Four Extremes Palace. Now that I know the Azure Dragon is actually a girl, I'm even more curious. I imagine you must be very beautiful."

Qinglong chuckled, "Then, if I were beautiful, would Young Master Zhang still want to pin me down?"

Zhang Donglou raised an eyebrow and said, "To be able to sleep with Qinglong, just thinking about it is intriguing. Even if she's a bit ugly, it doesn't matter." As he spoke, Zhang Donglou suddenly sat up, reached out to Qinglong's veil, and asked, "I wonder if I have the honor?"

Qinglong said, "Young Master Zhang, I'm much older than you!"

Zhang Donglou chuckled and said, "I've had my share of women, so I'm not really that interested anymore. Now, when I'm with a woman, I'm after the feeling. What does it matter if I'm older?"

After all,

Zhang Donglou removed the veil from Qinglong.

The next moment, he froze.

Because beneath the veil was a face covered in scales, which looked like dense white snake scales that gleamed under the light.

Qinglong chuckled softly, her face expressionless, but her voice clearly indicated laughter. She slowly pulled open the fabric of her dress, revealing her chest, which was also covered in white scales.

"Young Master Zhang, are you still sleeping? If you don't mind, we can get things done on this ship right now," Qinglong said.

Zhang Donglou slowly put the veil on Qinglong, then straightened Qinglong's clothes, and said with a smile, "We'll talk about it later, later. I'm not at that point yet, but I have a feeling that in a few years I'll definitely be unable to resist you."

Qinglong chuckled and said, "As expected of the Left Prime Minister's son, his mentality is far beyond that of ordinary people. Most people would be terrified to see me like this, let alone be able to talk and laugh like this."

Zhang Donglou said, "That's because ordinary people don't know how to appreciate it. Although I can't accept your scales for now, I can see that with your charm, you would definitely be a rare beauty in normal times."

"Young Master Zhang is quite an interesting person," Qinglong said. "It's a pity that Baihu has defected. Otherwise, I would really like to introduce her to you."

"White Tiger is also a woman?" Zhang Donglou asked in surprise.

"Yes," Qinglong said, "and she's very beautiful, only thirty years old, highly skilled in martial arts, righteous, and heroic. It's a pity that she's too righteous, which clashes with the Left Prime Minister's indirect approach to saving the country. She recklessly went to assassinate the Left Prime Minister, and now her fate is unknown."

Zhang Donglou was slightly taken aback and said, "I haven't heard about this before. But what was she thinking, daring to assassinate my father? Doesn't she know that my father became prime minister not only because he was cunning, but also because he was highly skilled in martial arts, and few dared to compete with him?"

Qinglong said, "Baihu is too young. She only entered the martial arts world ten years ago. At that time, the Left Prime Minister had already retired. She only knew that the Left Prime Minister was highly skilled in martial arts, but she had never felt the oppressive feeling brought by the Left Prime Minister's martial arts."

Zhang Donglou nodded and said, "That's true, otherwise, she wouldn't have dared to assassinate my father." Then, Zhang Donglou half-reclined and said, "So many snakes are just going to be thrown away? Don't you feel bad about it? Don't you really like snakes?"

"Those snakes are useless to me now," Qinglong said. "I have to say, this Snake Mountain is really a good place. I really have to thank Young Master Zhang for finding me such a treasure. My Spirit Snake Transformation is just one step away from perfection. I haven't been able to find a suitable place to break through. The place you found is too good. There are so many snakes here."

"Did it succeed?" Zhang Donglou asked.

"I succeeded a few days ago," Qinglong said. "In the past two months, I have basically sacrificed all the snakes on this Snake Mountain. Now I have reached the pinnacle of skill."

Zhang Donglou raised an eyebrow, asking expectantly, "Then can you really turn into a snake?"

Qinglong shook his head slightly and said, "That won't work. It requires the Heavenly Serpent Transformation. However, that martial art is too difficult to master. I tried it before, but I couldn't even get started, so I had to settle for the Spirit Serpent Transformation. But if Young Master Zhang wants to experience what it's like to be coiled by a snake, I can do that too. In a few days, once my true energy is completely stable, I'll be able to control my scales!"

Zhang Donglou quickly said, "Then we should keep the scales on the body, but we don't need the scales on the face."

"Alright, I'd also like to see how the son of the Left Prime Minister differs from the Left Prime Minister himself," Qinglong said.

Zhang Donglou chuckled lightly, "You really are..."

"Snakes are inherently lustful," Azure Dragon said. "I used to be a very conservative woman, but after cultivating the Spirit Serpent Transformation, I started to become very interested in men."

Zhang Donglou said, "Just tell me what kind of man you want to play with, and given our relationship, I'll give him to you!"

Qinglong said, "Today I saw a man who made me want to sleep with him."

"Who is it?" Zhang Donglou asked, puzzled.

"Gu Guanqi," Qinglong said, "I didn't expect the portrait to be so different from the real person. He's our Four Extremes Hall's number one assassination target right now. But when I saw his portrait before, I just thought he was quite handsome. It wasn't until I saw him in town today that I realized the painter failed to capture even a fraction of his spirit. That man is too ethereal; I really want to sleep with him!"

Zhang Donglou waved his hand and said, "Your request is too high. Unless my father personally takes action, I can't think of anyone who can capture him and send him to your bed, but my father is unlikely to do that!"

Qinglong said, "I have my own way. When I unleash my power, I will stimulate the lust of others. This is not an aphrodisiac, so there is no way to counteract it. At that time, I will sleep with him and kill him at the same time, without any delay!"

Sigh, if I didn't have to kill him, I wouldn't have been able to bear it. After being affected by this technique, it's easy for him to develop feelings for a woman during intercourse! Who knows, it might even allow me to have a sweet and romantic relationship with a young man!

Zhang Donglou gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Impressive! However, it's not a soul-capturing technique; it just makes it easy to develop feelings. In the end, it won't affect his ability to kill you at all."

"That's true," Qinglong said with a smile.

Zhang Donglou chuckled and said, "It's funny, isn't it? Do you Four Extremes Palaces all like older men dating younger women? Zhuque has her eye on An Yi, the senior sister of Medicine King Valley, and you've got your eye on Gu Guanqi... Hmm, speaking of which, it seems like An Yi and Gu Guanqi are getting along quite well, tsk tsk tsk!"

Azure Dragon said, "That's perfect! I'll lend Vermilion Bird a hand then, and the four of us can play together!"

Zhang Donglou: "..."

"But be careful, don't overdo it. Gu Guanqi is very skilled in martial arts. Our plan, which we were forced to change at the last minute, wasn't very well thought out. Don't do anything reckless."

"Yes," Qinglong nodded, "I know what I'm doing." Then, she suddenly smiled and asked, "Isn't there something fishy about Gu Guanqi?"

"What do you mean?" Zhang Donglou asked.

Azure Dragon said, "It's your weakness, or rather, it's the weakness of Vermilion Bird. Before, when we were about to seize the Heavenly Physician's Poison Manual, it was all a sure thing. But then Gu Guanqi suddenly appeared, the plan failed, and almost all of the Southern Palace assassins were wiped out."

Our plan to seize the Broken Void Shuttle is foolproof. I will be in the open, using the power of the Serpent Transformation to shake Tang Yu's resolve, while the Vermilion Bird will launch a sneak attack from the shadows, and we will also have many highly skilled assassins providing support.

Even if Tang Yu wielded the Broken Void Shuttle and carried the Thousand Machine Umbrella, he would still be doomed! But then, Gu Guanqi appeared, forcing us to temporarily change our original plan. What was once a 100% certainty is now only 70%.

Zhang Donglou waved his hand and said, "As long as you don't let lust cloud your judgment, I'm still absolutely certain."

Qinglong said, "Where did you get the 'ten percent' from?"

Zhang Donglou pointed to the ferryman outside the cabin and asked, "Do you know who he is?"

Qinglong said, "Isn't he your guard?"

Zhang Donglou said, "After I arrived in Yunzhou, he did protect me the whole way, but he's from Yunzhou, and he has a nickname: Death Sword!"

Qinglong was slightly taken aback and said, "Wang Qingzhi, the peak master of Death Sword Peak, one of the three grandmasters of Tingchao Sword Sect!" She said with surprise, "How could it be him? As everyone knows, Death Sword Wang Qingzhi's sword intent is impossible to hide. He is always ready to kill. This person... cannot see any sword intent at all."

Zhang Donglou laughed and said, "If you can break through, why can't he? Some time ago, he broke through in swordsmanship and has now reached the level of concealing the sword within his body."

Qinglong asked suspiciously, "Since he's already there as the final trump card, why do I need to pretend to be Long Wenluo to influence Tang Yu's state of mind? You know, doing so actually carries the risk of alerting the enemy."

Zhang Donglou laughed and said, "The key is to stir up trouble and make Tang Yu believe that you are the killer move. Only in this way can Wang Qingzhi's move have the effect of catching the enemy off guard."

At that time, just like tonight, with Suzaku's illusion combined with your Serpent Transformation, Tang Yu will inevitably think that our main purpose is for you to impersonate Long Wenluo to deal with him, and all our attention will be on you. In this situation, Wang Qingzhi's surprise attack will surely kill Tang Yu in the first instant.

"By then, with Zhuque added to the mix, the three of you together could easily kill Gu Guanqi, wouldn't that be a piece of cake? Everyone present can be killed to silence them, and Wang Qingzhi won't have to worry about being exposed at all."

Qinglong said, "Theoretically, it's possible. However, Gu Guanqi's sword is very fast. If we can't kill or seriously injure Tang Yu immediately, it will be difficult for us to capture them once Tang Yu and Gu Guanqi join forces, unless we perish together."

"Don't worry," Zhang Donglou said. "Besides using illusions to help you, there was another reason why I had Zhuque infiltrate them before: to be prepared for any eventuality."

"Tomorrow, once you've lured them into a trap, while you and Wang Qingzhi deal with Tang Yu, Zhuque will intervene to stop Gu Guanqi. With Zhuque's strength and a sneak attack, she's not only confident she can stop Gu Guanqi, but she's also very likely to kill him."

Qinglong nodded slightly: "Let's do as you say!"

……

In Snake Mountain Town.

The chaotic battle between humans and snakes lasted a long time before it finally subsided.

The ground was littered with all sorts of snake corpses, densely packed, at least a thousand of them.

Many snakes had retreated, but the group remained vigilant and continued to check everywhere.

Meanwhile, An Yi and her group of Medicine King Valley disciples got busy because there were too many people bitten by snakes, and many of the venoms were extremely potent and dangerous.

Gu Guanqi was also helping with the detoxification.

He barely made a move today, only casually killing a few snakes that attacked him; the rest of the time, he just watched the spectacle.

Today also broadened his horizons, making him realize that the illusions in this world are truly amazing.

At least, when he first saw the big white snake, he couldn't see any flaws and thought it was a real python.

After a long time,

It's already past midnight.

Gu Guanqi, An Yi, and a group of Medicine King Valley disciples finally managed to stabilize those who had been poisoned at the scene.

Fortunately, the disciples of Medicine King Valley like to carry various medicinal herbs in large bags when they travel. It's also fortunate that they are all medical experts; otherwise, they really wouldn't be able to treat so many poisoned people.

"Many thanks, Master Gu, Junior Nephew An, and all the esteemed disciples of Medicine King Valley!"

Tang Yu walked over and bowed to Gu Guanqi and the others to express his gratitude.

Gu Guanqi waved his hand.

"Sect Leader Tang, you're too kind." An Yi cupped her hands in greeting, then asked, "Sect Leader Tang, it seems that the other side's purpose today wasn't entirely about the Duanxu Shuttle; perhaps they were also after you, intending to tarnish your reputation!"

Tang Yu sighed slightly and said, "After all these years, there are still people making a fuss about this. Someone already used it once back then."

An Yi asked doubtfully, "You mean, that legend of the snake fairy was also deliberately created back then?"

"This is a long story!" Tang Yu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Master Gu, Junior Nephew An, I'm afraid we'll need your strong support in this matter. Why don't we go upstairs and I'll explain the whole story to you from beginning to end, so you won't have any doubts!"

An Yi looked at Gu Guanqi.

Seeing Gu Guanqi nod slightly, An Yi then said, "Sect Leader Tang, please!"

at this time,

Tang Batian, who was sitting with Hua Jinhuan, quickly walked over and called out, "Father!"

Tang Yu hesitated for a moment, then said, "Why don't you come along too!"

Then, the four of them went upstairs together.

In the hall,

Hua Jinhuan sat drinking tea, his gaze falling on the four people coming upstairs, lost in thought.

……

quickly,

Gu Guanqi, An Yi, Tang Yu, and Tang Batian went upstairs to a room.

Tang Yu lit an oil lamp, and the dim light made the room somewhat dark.

Tang Yu then poured tea for Gu Guanqi and An Yi.

Tang Batian said urgently, "Father, tell me honestly, is there something hidden about Mother's death? I noticed you were acting strangely after seeing that big white snake!"

Gu Guanqi and An Yi also looked at Tang Yu.

Tang Yu sighed, looked at Tang Batian, and slowly said, "For so many years, I have been explaining to the outside world that your mother gave me the only snake gall that could save my life, and then she died of poisoning."

Actually, she did die of poisoning, but she poisoned herself. I said that because I couldn't bear to see her bear the infamy after her death, and also so that you wouldn't bear the stigma. In reality, she... completely brought it upon herself!

Tang Batian's eyes widened, and he said, "Could it be that all these years you've told me about the deep love between you and Mother was just a lie?"

Tang Yu quickly replied, "It's true that our feelings are deep."

"Then what...?"

"Sigh," Tang Yu sighed deeply, looked at Gu Guanqi, and said, "It's also my fault. I shouldn't have taken advantage of my looks when I was young and been so promiscuous!"

Gu Guanqi: "??"

Why are you looking at me?