Chapter 394

Chapter 394: The Killing Trap (Part 2)

Soft, earthen yellow light gradually rose from various locations within Huai Mountain City.

A vast magical barrier enveloped the entire county city, and the drums atop the watchtower began to sound automatically, their echoes resonating across a hundred miles.

Suddenly, plumes of black smoke erupted from several houses within the city, only to vanish moments later.

These were the Evil Spirits that had been lurking in the city, now utterly destroyed under the combined force of the city defense formations and the watchtower drums.

At the same time, a streak of light shot swiftly toward the northwest!

The battle cultivators stationed on the city walls watched the departing light, their eyes filled with unease.

Zhao Hongyi had left.

As the besieger of Huai Mountain City and the only Purple Palace cultivator in the city, his presence had been a stabilizing force, deterring both the Evil Spirits and any potential troublemakers.

Previously, Zhao Hongyi had remained stationed at the besieger’s office, and although the city had experienced several strange and sinister events, the situation had remained relatively stable, allowing the residents to carry on with their lives.

But now, his sudden departure cast a shadow of uncertainty over everyone.

An ominous feeling lingered in the air!

It was well known that while the city defense formations were powerful, their full destructive power could only be unleashed under the control of high-level Qi Training cultivators.

Moreover, the formations consumed a tremendous amount of energy and could not be sustained at full strength indefinitely; otherwise, the spirit stones would be depleted.

If the formations were to weaken and Zhao Hongyi failed to return in time, the entire county city would be plunged into grave danger.

The Evil Spirits lurking in the shadows would undoubtedly seize the opportunity to cause chaos!

Zhao Hongyi was fully aware of the consequences of his departure, but he had no choice. He could not stand by and watch his beloved son perish or allow his ancestral land to fall into the hands of evil.

No sooner had the besieger left than Huai Mountain City entered a state of heightened alert.

Residents were ordered to remain indoors, patrols on the streets increased significantly, and dozens of cultivators took their positions on the city walls to assist the soldiers in defending their home.

The atmosphere was tense, filled with wind and panic, as if every shadow held a threat.

Time passed, and both inside and outside Huai County City, all remained quiet, with no signs of disturbance.

It seemed as though all the Evil Spirits in the city had been completely eradicated.

Yet, the cultivators and soldiers on city defense remained vigilant, not daring to let their guard down.

Without Zhao Hongyi, Huai Mountain City was at its most vulnerable!

“Alert!”

At dusk, a cultivator suddenly narrowed his eyes and called out in a deep voice, “Ready the crossbows!”

At the end of the road leading to the south city gate, a long procession appeared.

At the forefront, drums and gongs sounded, followed by dozens of flag bearers. Behind them, a hundred knights escorted a cloud palanquin, moving leisurely toward the county city.

The sounds of gongs, suona, and bamboo flute drifted through the air, reaching the ears of everyone in the city.

Accompanying the music was an incessant, grating chant.

Upon closer inspection, it became clear that the entire procession, including their mounts, floated just above the ground.

The fading light of the setting sun cast an eerie and sinister glow over the scene.

Evil Spirits!

Only Evil Spirits could possess such characteristics!

The soldiers of the city defense did not dare to delay and quickly pushed the heavy crossbows to the parapets.

One by one, crossbow arrows engraved with runes were loaded into the slots, and the creaking sound of the strings being drawn echoed continuously!

These arrows had the special powers to pierce armor and vanquish evil, specifically designed to deal with magical beasts and Evil Spirits. Due to their high cost, they were typically stored in the secret vault of the besieger’s office.

However, because of the recent disturbances caused by the Evil Spirits, they had been distributed to the guards.

The glinting arrowheads were aimed at the approaching Evil Spirits.

The cultivator in charge of the city defense stared intently at this extremely unusual group, beads of sweat forming in the palm that clutched the talismans.

He had seen many Evil Spirits, but this one was unlike any he had ever encountered, and he felt an immense pressure bearing down on him.

Though the city defense formations were activated and a large stockpile of weapons against Evil Spirits prepared, the cultivator did not feel confident; he merely forced himself to stay calm, showing no signs of fear on the surface.

He had to avoid losing his composure and letting chaos spread among the soldiers.

He did not dare act hastily, merely watching as the Evil Spirits drew closer to the city gate.

At the same time, in front of the back door of the besieger’s office in the city, a gray-clad servant appeared quietly.

He looked around before raising his hand to knock on the courtyard gate.

After a moment, the heavy wooden door creaked open, revealing a gray-haired head.

“Uncle Fu.”

The gray-clad servant nodded and bowed, saying, “Sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s already this late, and you’re back now!”

Uncle Fu, hidden behind the door, barked angrily, “Don’t you know there’s a curfew in the city? Hurry up and get lost! If you get yourself killed and implicate me, I won’t let you off!”

The servant, who had been spat upon with words, didn’t get angry at all; instead, he smiled apologetically, “Please don’t be angry. You are magnanimous, so don’t take it out on a small one like me.”

As he spoke, he slyly slipped a piece of jade stone into Fu’s hand.

Uncle Fu was quite greedy by nature; encountering him meant it was impossible to resolve matters without some cost!

Uncle Fu instinctively caught it, only to realize it was actually a spirit stone!

His expression instantly softened, and he skillfully pocketed the spirit stone, snorting coldly, “Consider yourself lucky this time. Don’t leave the house on your own next time, or if someone finds out, no one can save you.”

With that, Uncle Fu opened the room door.

The gray-clad servant slipped into the office, smiling, “Understood, understood.”

He walked straight down the right path.

“Ah Gui, where are you going?”

As Uncle Fu just closed the back door, he immediately called out in a low voice, “You’ve only been out half a day, and you don’t remember which path to take?”

“Then which path should I take?”

The gray-clad servant stopped and turned, his smile turning extremely eerie, “Quickly tell me.”

Uncle Fu shivered, feeling as if he had fallen into an icy abyss, his blood freezing within (his body).

This was not Ah Gui!

He trembled, wanting to shout loudly, but as he opened his mouth, no words came out; his throat choked, his eyes filled with terror and pleas for mercy.

In the next moment, a cold hand tightly gripped his throat.

Crack!

Uncle Fu didn’t even have time to react before he Instantly met his demise.

The gray-clad servant looked around, then opened his bloodthirsty mouth.

His mouth expanded to two feet wide in an instant, swallowing Uncle Fu’s corpse whole.

He gulped it down with a satisfying sound!

Shaking his head, the gray-clad servant extended his long tongue to lick his nose and mouth, returning to his normal appearance.

He patted his swollen belly, as round as a pregnant woman in September, and vigorously rubbed it.

The expanding belly promptly shrank down.

“Uh~”

The gray-clad servant burped, revealing a satisfied expression.

He arrogantly walked down the left path.

This path led directly to the Protective Law Hall and the Heavenly Pivot Pavilion, which controlled the city defense formations!