The spectacle Jin Miaoshan put on this time was grand, but Wang Yu had a growing suspicion about why Jin Lin was pursuing her so relentlessly, so determined to take her down.
Jin Lin, Jin *Lin*... a single character's difference.
But when spoken aloud, they were indistinguishable. If *he* were Jin Lin, he wouldn't be able to stand such an intentionally pointed, humiliating name shared by someone of equal status. She certainly knew how to play the game.
"Whoa—"
The four Golden Scale Beasts hovered three feet above the ground. Jin Miaoshan emerged from the carriage, having returned to her former dazzlingly ornate attire.
Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but Wang Yu felt he saw a faint Buddhist halo glowing behind her head. Jin Miaoshan seemed to have far more talent for the Prajna Heart Sutra than he did, having actually comprehended Buddhist principles from it.
"Daoist Friend Jin."
"Wang Yu, thank you for coming to welcome me."
Wang Yu's expression was neutral, but the surrounding crowd exploded in chatter.
"It's actually someone from the Golden Pavilion!"
"I wondered who could command such a grand entrance. It has to be the Golden Pavilion."
"She's here to reopen the Golden Pavilion in Guiding Spirit, right? That's great news! Quick, gather funds from friends and family. Another money-making opportunity is here!"
"As expected of City Lord Wang, finding us another fat sheep to shear! I love him for it!!"
Jin Miaoshan's initially brilliant smile instantly became strained. Wang Yu, on the other hand, cracked a faint smile.
"Please—"
"Hah..."
Taking a deep breath, Jin Miaoshan quickly pushed aside her irritation, walked over to Wang Yu's side, and entered the city with him. She spoke with a cheerful smile, "Well? Aren't these four Golden Scale Beasts splendid? Took a great deal of effort to gather them."
A muscle twitched at the corner of Wang Yu's mouth.
"No wonder Jin Lin is giving you trouble. Doing this only provokes him."
"My conflict with him isn't limited to this one thing. Anyway, his mother was jealous of mine. The idea for the Golden Scale Beasts was my father's."
"Well, your whole family really holds a grudge."
"It's called retaliation. Their side started the targeted schemes first."
Jin Miaoshan looked somewhat displeased. Seeing this, Wang Yu didn't press further—it was her family matter, after all. He changed the subject. "Did you bring any guardian-protectors this time? What Master Tranquil Water did last time must have cost Jin Lin dearly. Venturing out carelessly might provoke a retaliatory strike."
Jin Miaoshan raised a delicate eyebrow. "Would he dare send death guards to kill me? If he truly did that, it would mean tearing up all pretense. Even if his grandfather is a Nascent Soul cultivator, he couldn't cover that up."
Wang Yu paused mid-step. "Don't say such things lightly. You never know... Be careful!"
Suddenly.
Their vision plunged into utter darkness. The bustling city gate vanished. The two of them found themselves in a dark, empty space. There was no light in any direction, making it impossible to distinguish sky from ground, yet their feet found solid footing.
Wang Yu waved his hand, releasing the Ice Python Pill Flame, but it couldn't illuminate the darkness in the slightest. It was like an endless, pitch-black void.
"What's happening?"
Jin Miaoshan's expression also turned serious. "This is a divine ability from the Shadow Prison lineage, from a senior proficient in assassination and concealment—**[The Shadowless Mysterious Lord]**!
"He is an elder from Jin Lin's faction."
"How do we break it?"
"Only from the outside. We just need to hold on for a quarter of an hour. My guardians will find a way."
Wang Yu was speechless. His Mountain-Searching Demon-Seeking secret art automatically activated, his senses on high alert for anything in the darkness. But there was no movement, as if no enemy existed at all.
Maintaining such high-intensity vigilance indefinitely would inevitably lead to a lapse. He needed to lure the enemy into making a move to gauge their strength.
Thinking this, Wang Yu tried speaking. "Hey, you're a death guard sent by Jin Lin, right? This matter has nothing to do with me. Why must you drag me into it every time?"
—Silence. No response.
Wang Yu glanced at Jin Miaoshan and found her looking back at him.
"My apologies."
With a soft murmur, and before she could react, Wang Yu suddenly reached out, seizing her fair neck. His thumb and forefinger clamped down on her windpipe like steel bars.
With his monstrous strength, a slight squeeze could tear out her throat, causing excruciating pain, or simply pluck off that beautiful head with ease.
With her life suddenly in Wang Yu's grasp, Jin Miaoshan didn't panic. Instead, she asked a question. "Hey—what are you doing..."
"Don't speak."
Wang Yu shielded himself with Jin Miaoshan's body, squinting as he spoke. "Friend, your time is limited. Jin Lin couldn't possibly have ordered you to kill Fellow Daoist Miaoshan. You likely want to capture her alive... You've probably heard of my reputation as a reckless brute.
"Show yourself now, release this City Lord, and I won't kill her. Otherwise... you'll be taking a corpse back to report."
Their bodies were pressed close together. Far from feeling fear, Jin Miaoshan even wriggled her full hips. A subtle, alluring fragrance emanated from her neck.
Wang Yu knew she had methods to escape his grasp if she truly wanted to, but he hadn't expected her to be so brazenly seductive in this situation. It was practically an invitation.
"Stop that!"
He pushed forward slightly. Jin Miaoshan immediately stiffened, a rosy blush coloring her fair cheeks.
Coincidentally, ripples also appeared in the dark void.
A stooped, elderly figure emerged from the darkness, emanating the aura of a peak Core Formation cultivator. This level of strength exceeded what Wang Yu could handle.
"Are you a death guard?" Wang Yu asked.
The old man looked at Jin Miaoshan, his throat bobbing as if he hadn't spoken in a long time, his voice raspy. "Yes."
Wang Yu, still holding Jin Miaoshan, backed away, putting enough distance between them to react to a sudden attack. Only then did he speak. "At your age, you seem a bit... unprofessional for a death guard."
The other seemed caught off guard by this statement, momentarily at a loss for words. Jin Miaoshan, however, grasped Wang Yu's thinking and said thoughtfully, "Indeed, a death guard of such advanced age is truly rare. Are you *really* one of Jin Lin's people?"
Had he been slacking off in his youth?
If that were the case, it meant the other wasn't a rigid, mission-focused machine. But the more likely possibility... this old man wasn't a death guard at all!
What death guard lived to this age? It made no sense!!
After a long silence.
Realizing he couldn't deceive the two, the old man revealed an ugly smile. "Miss Jin is indeed exceptionally clever, remaining so relaxed even while captured, seeing through this old man's ruse. However... you two are putting on an act, aren't you?"
Jin Miaoshan: "..."
Hearing this doubt immediately stirred annoyance in Wang Yu. He hated nothing more than people thinking he was putting on a show. "An act? You think I'm putting on an act?!!"
The **[Lesser Asura Slaughter Fist]**, cultivated for years, was unveiled by Wang Yu for the first time. Lacking Core Formation-level power, he could only manifest the mental, spiritual aspect of this divine ability technique.
Crimson mist began to spread. A terrifying killing intent, substantial on a mental level, coalesced around Wang Yu. His eyes turned blood-red, emitting three-foot-long bloody beams.
The once palm-sized materialized killing intent had now swelled to over thirty feet. The dense red mist above his head coalesced into the upper torso of an Asura.
This pressure, striking directly at the heart and mind, could only be resisted by those with an unshakable Dao heart.
The old man's expression shifted to one of gravity. He couldn't determine if Wang Yu was serious. Jin Miaoshan, though she had guessed he cultivated a **[Slaughter Heart of the Asura]** path, hadn't expected his progress to be so great.
—It was on par with her own!
Having experienced slaughterous intent invading her mind, Jin Miaoshan understood the terror of such a state. She, too, began to suspect if Wang Yu was serious. The feeling of being targeted by a predator sent a chill through her entire body.
As the saying goes, a wise man does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.
Just as Jin Miaoshan prepared to use a secret art to escape, the old man spoke again.
"Calm down! Young Friend Wang, let's talk this through. This old man did not intentionally involve you."
"State your purpose."
The old man sighed helplessly. "This old man was indeed entrusted by Young Master Jin Lin to bring Miss Miaoshan back."
"Why?" This question came from Jin Miaoshan.
"Miss, your foundation is in Cloudveil. Young Master Jin Lin's foundation is in Netherflow. With the Chasing Moon Province conflict, he wishes to prevent you from interfering. This old man would never harm you, just... detain you for a period."
"Hah—
"That Jin Lin brat, always scheming with underhanded tactics. Can't he compete with this young lady fairly for once? Does Uncle Shadowless know you're here... Lou Gao."
Through the conversation, Jin Miaoshan discerned the other's identity.
Knowing he could no longer conceal himself, the old man's form shimmered, restoring his true appearance. And indeed, it was a handsome, silver-haired man.
Jin Miaoshan took this opportunity to explain to Wang Yu. "Lou Gao is the chief disciple of the Shadowless Mysterious Lord. He failed once in attempting to form his Nascent Soul and has been unable to obtain a second opportunity. He's nearing the end of his Core Formation lifespan."
Even as a Nascent Soul disciple, with a distinguished status and backed by a major merchant association like the Golden Pavilion...
A Nascent Soul formation opportunity wasn't easy to come by, far rarer than Core Formation spiritual materials, almost never sold.
And the larger the force, the longer the queue.
Everyone had connections; it came down to luck. Getting one chance was already fortunate; a second chance wouldn't come for free.
Even the Shadowless Mysterious Lord couldn't help him. He had to find his own opportunity.
"So, Jin Lin promised you a Nascent Soul formation opportunity? And you believed him? He needs to compete for one himself."
"Of course not."
Lou Gao shook his head, denying Jin Miaoshan's guess.
"Young Master Jin Lin provided me with a lead, over in the Great Lake Spirit Domain. With my mastery of these shadow and formless techniques, I might venture deep into the Great Lake and contend for it."
"I see."
At that moment, Wang Yu's spiritual sense stirred. He felt the dark void begin to tremble. Clearly, those outside were about to succeed.
The situation was settled!
The previously materialized killing intent receded like a tide, completely withdrawn by Wang Yu. His hand also released Jin Miaoshan's neck.
She looked at him with suspicion. "Was that really an act just now?"
Wang Yu spread his hands. "Of course. Don't you trust me, Fellow Daoist Miaoshan?"
She had her doubts about that.
Seeing the situation, Lou Gao didn't seize this final chance to act. Instead, he offered another explanation. "Originally, I planned to head straight for the Great Lake after completing the mission. Now that it's failed, I still intend to go and investigate. I hope we may meet again, Miss Miaoshan."
Immediately, the darkness receded. The warm light of the great sun shone down upon them once more.
Qing Yang and the others immediately surrounded them.
"City Lord, are you alright?"
"Unharmed."
Jin Miaoshan's side was also attended to by several people—five guardians, all at the peak of Core Formation, far more than last time. Clearly, they were also preparing for potential trouble during the Chasing Moon Province conflict.
In demonic path conflicts, trouble was the norm. One couldn't expect them to honestly abide by the rules.
**(End of Chapter)**