Chapter 4
Mo Xingyun emerged from the secret passage. Having survived the assassination, he felt as if he had been reborn. His breathing was smoother than before, and the internal energy in his dantian was more abundant.
He pondered the matter repeatedly. He didn't know who the assassins were, but since they were so familiar with his whereabouts, they must be connected to the Demonic Cult.
He decided to carry out the Demon Queen's order for the time being and go to intercept the people from the Immortal Palace.
As the only son of the Immortal Palace's Holy Consort, Ning Xuefei, and her former husband, Mo Xiupo, his identity was the greatest taboo of the current master of the Immortal Palace: the Divine Emperor, Wei Wuyin. He could be called the Immortal Palace's most wanted fugitive, so he could not reveal his identity no matter what.
His very existence was a threat to the legitimacy of the Divine Emperor's position. After all, if not for the "Heavenly Star's Rebellion," he would have been the rightful heir to the Immortal Palace, and even a dual heir to the Immortal Sword Sect and the Immortal Palace.
If the world knew he was still alive, it was inevitable that the remnants of the Immortal Sword Sect and the opposition faction within the Immortal Palace would use him as a leader to rebel against the Immortal Palace.
Therefore, for so many years, Mo Xingyun had mostly hidden in the Evil Moon Cave Abode according to the instructions of the Old Ancestor Xie Mo and the Demon Queen. Even when he rarely came to the surface, he had to do his utmost to avoid revealing any clues.
This time, the Demon Queen actually sent him to assassinate people from the Immortal Palace. The more he thought about it, the more baffling it was. Was it a test for him? Or was there another hidden reason? Combined with the fact that he had encountered assassins as soon as he left the cave, Mo Xingyun felt even more confused and irritated.
"Don't overthink it. Focus on the present." A cool, clear voice suddenly sounded in his mind.
Mo Xingyun's heart jolted, and then a warm current surged through him. He knew it was Long Yue speaking to him through that "black strand of hair."
"Master?" he replied in his mind.
"Mm." Long Yue's voice carried a hint of weakness. "I sense your thoughts are in turmoil, but do not be impatient. The energy within you has awakened, but your state of mind still needs tempering."
"This disciple understands. But right now..."
"Right now, treat this as a trial. Observe, judge, and then... act." Long Yue's voice gradually faded away.
He forced himself to collect his thoughts. With Long Yue's guidance, the irritation in his heart lessened considerably. He decided not to think too much for now. The priority was to go and intercept the people from the Immortal Palace and complete the Old Ancestor's order. After all, everyone from the Immortal Palace now was a running dog of Wei Wuyin, and Mo Xingyun harbored a bone-deep hatred for them.
He used his lightness, his figure moving rapidly through the mountains. After the strange encounter at the lake, he felt his internal cultivation had risen another level, and his qinggong and footwork were greatly enhanced.
In half a day, he had reached the interception point. It was now noon, the scorching sun hanging high in the sky. This place was already far from the Evil Moon Cave Abode. Looking into the distance, the mountains were shrouded in mist, and the forests were lush and green. It was a small pathway on a mountainside.
He concealed his figure, lying prone in the grass by the roadside. According to the Old Ancestor's instructions, in about half an hour, three people carrying Immortal Palace tokens would pass by this small path. His mission was to kill these three on the spot.
"Ajiao, Amei, do you think what that young man in the small shop said about the mountain ogre is true? If it is, that would be so much fun!"
After waiting for about half an hour, Mo Xingyun heard the sound of clear, bell-like laughter from charming female voices. He looked up and saw three people on horseback slowly approaching from the western end of the mountain path. To his surprise, all three were women.
The leading woman wore a gorgeous and magnificent green dress with intricate patterns, riding a horse that was pure white. She was a stunningly beautiful young maiden. Her skin was fair, her figure tall and slender. She had a straight, delicate nose, faintly slanted willow-leaf eyebrows, large eyes with long lashes, and a pair of red lips that looked even more alluring against her pearly white teeth. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders. Beneath her fair, swan-like neck, her full, mature, and towering bust stood out within the beautiful neckline of her dress. Below her slender waist was a round, perky, and full buttocks. The hem of her dress was a puffy, knee-length style, revealing a small section of her plump, fair thighs and well-proportioned calves. Her delicate legs seemed to reflect the sunlight, likely due to the flesh-colored silk stockings she wore. Paired with about 5-centimeter light-white high heels, her exquisite, petite, and sweet figure was accentuated to perfection. In particular, her legs had an especially long, slender proportion, making her appear exceptionally tall. Although she lacked the bewitching charm of a mature woman, she possessed a unique youthful and vibrant beauty.
Behind her were two other young women on horseback, but their looks and figures were far inferior to hers. Their attire suggested they were maids.
One of the maids in white said with a smile, "Miss, aren't mountain ogres quite terrifying? It's scary just thinking about it. What's so fun about that? We should head back to the Immortal Palace soon, so the Holy Consort doesn't have to worry about you."
The other maid in pink said mischievously, "That's not necessarily true. Think about it, if we catch that mountain ogre and stuff it into that lecherous shop owner from earlier, won't he be scared to death? Hahahaha!"
The beautiful young woman in green also became excited. "Yes, yes, yes! Ajiao has the right idea. Let's go to that mountain col, find the mountain ogre's cave, and drag it out. We can tell Father about it when we get back. I bet he'll be scared out of his wits too. This will be so much fun."
The three young women chattered incessantly, riding their horses slowly along the path as if they were taking a leisurely stroll. Mo Xingyun, hidden in the grass, saw that all three of them had a token tied to their waists. The token depicted clouds and mist rising with a ball of white flame above. It was a clear mark of the Heavenly Star Immortal Palace.
These three must be the targets, Mo Xingyun thought. But he never imagined that the people he was supposed to intercept were three young maidens. Especially the one in green, who was graceful and poised, as beautiful as a flower, with a charming figure and a lovely face. She was in the prime of her youth, like a magnificent flower in full bloom. Mo Xingyun found himself staring intently at the beautiful girl's face, unable to look away. His heart started to pound for no reason, and he began to hesitate.
Just then, several powerful arrows suddenly shot down from the hillside, aimed at the three women on the path. The three women cried out in alarm, horrified, and quickly drew the weapons at their waists to defend themselves. But the arrows were not aimed at the women; instead, they unerringly struck the three women's precious horses. The three horses, hit by several arrows each, began to bleed profusely, whinnying in agony before collapsing to the ground.
The three women used their qinggong to leap off their horses. At that moment, several black-clad figures flew down from the hillside, surrounding them.
Mo Xingyun took a closer look and realized with a jolt that these black-clad figures were the same assassins who had attacked him!
"Hehehe, this is easier than I thought. Three young ladies are taking a leisurely stroll. Why not come back to our stronghold with us to rest and have some fun? How about it?"
The leader of the black-clad men said with a lecherous smile. The moment he spoke, Mo Xingyun recognized him. This man was one of his junior brothers from the Demonic Cult, named Fei Mo. He was a disciple under the faction of another Demonic Cult Venerable, the Fierce King Cang Li. His character was vile and vicious, and he was considered a master among the younger generation of the Demonic Cult. Although the subordinates of the Demonic Cult were all under the jurisdiction of the Demon Queen, there were various branches below her.
In other words, the black-clad men who tried to assassinate him were from the Demonic Cult? The men who attacked him earlier were clearly the same group as the ones who had appeared now, dressed in identical clothing.
Is the Demonic Cult trying to get rid of me? Mo Xingyun pondered. He had not done anything to betray the Demonic Cult, so why would he have offended them?
The girl in green brandished her bright, gleaming long sword and said angrily to Fei Mo, "Hmph! How dare you kill my precious horses! Now, each of you leave an arm behind, and I will spare your lives!"
"Hahahaha!" Fei Mo laughed wildly and said with a lewd grin, "Sure! After you come home with me obediently, you can have as many arms as you want. I have another one down here, it's thick and big, I wonder if the young lady would like it?"
As he spoke, the group of black-clad men all began to laugh with malicious intent. The girl in green was enraged by the taunts, her face flushing red. The maid in pink beside her said sharply, "Miss, why bother talking to them? They're just common bandits. Let's show them what we're made of!"
With that, she charged forward with her sword, unleashing the Immortal Palace's swordplay, and she was actually evenly matched with the black-clad men.
Fei Mo and the Demonic Cult's black-clad men said no more, immediately drawing their weapons to surround and attack them. The three women used their sword techniques, and the two sides fell into a chaotic fight.
"Not bad, little lady. The young ladies of the Immortal Palace live up to their reputation. Fierce and spirited. I wonder if you're this fiery in bed too, hahaha!"
While fighting the girl in green, the Demonic Cultists still had the leisure to spout their lewd taunts, clearly holding back their full strength. This only infuriated the girl in green further, and every move she made became a deadly, ferocious strike.
Mo Xingyun watched the two sides fight from the sidelines. The Immortal Palace's swordplay was indeed orthodox martial arts, providing a very tight defense, and it was on par with the sinister techniques of the Demonic Cult for the time being. However, the three women were outnumbered, and they were young, so their internal cultivation was likely shallow. If the fight dragged on, the situation would probably become dire for them.
*****
Read 12+ chapters ahead at:
patreon.com/collection/1750062