The sound of the firearm discharging traveled so far through the narrow alley that even the half-immortals who kept feeling like their hearing was impaired tensed all over. 

Zhao Qindan wasted no time saying anything else. She raised her sword and charged out. 

An autumn rain was about to fall. The chilly damp assaulted the senses, wrapped around the smells of blood and gun smoke. Zhao Qindan’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, instinctively formed a hand seal to draw a talisman—nothing happened. 

She was stunned. She stopped in her tracks.

Yes—she was no longer a half-immortal of Heaven’s Design Pavilion who could overturn hundreds upon thousands of people with one talisman. 

There was another gunshot. The screams and angry cursing were more ear-piercing than the roar of the firearm. Zhao Qindan gave a start. The Qilin Guard didn’t dare to enter where spiritual energy was prohibited, but now she, a former walker in the mortal world of Heaven’s Design Pavilion, was finding out how it felt to “walk in the mortal world.” 

But the next moment, her heart began to beat wildly. A rage of inexpressible origin engulfed her: for her traitorous family heading north to Dongheng, for that inglorious marriage transaction, for her baseless self-respect, stamped into the mud…and for this moment, for her true timidity and helplessness when she had nothing to fall back on. 

The shots had come from the soldiers who had just been patrolling nearby and had immediately rushed over on hearing the disturbance. The patrol team’s centurion had taken one look at an unruly citizen swinging a big hammer at his colleague’s head and, in a moment of desperation, raised his hand cannon and shot. 

But these Xia River loafers had never fought a battle, and their training had been sloppy and inferior. He had clearly been aiming at the shoulder of the person holding the hammer, but instead he hit an old man standing next to him in the neck. Even his head flew off when the cartridge connected. How could anyone have survived that? First, everyone was dumbfounded. Then the man holding the hammer forlornly cried out “Dad!”, his eyes opening as wide as an ox’s, his veins standing out. Shouting, he threw himself at the killer. 

This time the centurion’s aim was true. His shot opened a bloody flower on that man’s forehead. 

In the blink of an eye, two bodies were lying in front of the crowd, like a bucket of ice poured over the inflamed public sentiments. The angry crowd went quiet. No one dared to step forward again. They stood facing the soldier in the government’s pay across a narrow alley. 

The army ruffians who had gotten drunk and made trouble ran back to their team in terror. There was another who couldn’t run back. Having “offered his life in sacrifice,” he was lying at the feet of the common people. 

The centurion’s eyes fell on the corpse of that army ruffian. He thought that Tao County was beyond rescue. They had spent so much time with evil cultivators that the people were all abnormal. So he slammed his helmet heavily against the wall and swore a foul oath. “Resist that crowd of unruly citizens. Arrest them!” 

The soldiers in the patrol team all rushed forward. 

But while these people were armed with hand cannons, they still automatically avoided the strong men carrying knives and axes. Like dogs fighting over food, they charged towards the weak and elderly who couldn’t run away. Though the weak and elderly were numerous, there still weren’t enough of them to be fought over like this. Soon there weren’t enough to go around. Two soldiers simultaneously grabbed an old woman leaning on a cane and wouldn’t give way to each other. Even the old woman herself felt embarrassed along with the two of them. 

Just then, the cool flash of a sword came out of nowhere, falling along with a lightning bolt from Tao County’s sky. The sword cleverly passed through cracks in these two army ruffians’ armor. In an instant, before the thunder came, the sword had cut off one man’s arm and sliced open the other man’s hand. 

Even without the ability to draw talismans, a half-immortal still had muscles and bones that had been tempered countless times by spiritual energy. With one hand, Zhao Qindan supported the old woman, who was sliding down. She stamped on the hand cannons that had fallen. “Impudence!” 

Wei Chengxiang had lost hold of her. When she came out in pursuit, this reprimand of Zhao Qindan’s, with the particular flavor of the elite, had already been spoken. 

Oh no. 

It was as if the young mistress was afraid people wouldn’t know there was something wrong with her background! 

Wei Chengxiang had also never expected that when she had climbed so high along the path of cultivation, fate would kick her back to where she had started from—and tracing this business back to its roots, she had played a part in it! 

“Senior,” Wei Chengxiang said quickly, squeezing the reincarnation wood, “the soldiers garrisoned in Tao County are distributed across twenty-five locations. The nearest army station to here has about three thousand people. At a quick march, they can come over within one ke. Not one of our neighbors will be spared today. If it was only an ordinary clash, they could spend money, call in connections, but now that people have died, it won’t be so easy to wrap it up. Hurry and get word to the young mistress, tell her to mind her mouth. If she gets dragged in, it’ll mean even more trouble!” 

Before Xi Ping could respond, Wei Chengxiang added, “Also, in the last few days, I’ve found out that the army has brought ‘flying book’ machines that don’t use spiritual stones¹. I’m not sure who those things can contact, maybe it’s the Qilin Guard outside of Tao County, maybe it’s their superior—at present, they’ve temporarily set up their general’s tent in Wild Fox Country, at the former location of the Snake King’s Immortal Palace, but it was a mortal that came, my guess is that it isn’t anyone important. There’s someone else behind them. No matter what, we can’t let the ‘flying book’ machine send word out. Sanyue is on the look-out for a reason to punish Tao County right now.” 

Xi Ping said, “Understood. Have patience.” 

Hardly had he spoken than Zhao Qindan, holding a sword with one hand and raising a hand cannon with the other, pointed at the centurion and said, “What fine men you all are! You accomplish nothing in pursuit of your careers or to protect your homes and your nation. All you’re capable of is extorting money from the common people. Slaughtering the old and weak, the women and children—where is martial law amidst this cruel oppression? Where are the laws of Western Chu?” 

“Senior, make her shut up!” Wei Chengxiang’s mind buzzed. She didn’t know whether it was Zhao Qindan’s mouth that was too fast, or whether Tai Sui was getting on in years and starting to get tangled up in his beard, unable to pass word fast enough. 

And Zhao Qindan wasn’t finished yet. Quickly as pouring out beans, she went on: “The elders here have never had the wish to rebel. They have always known their place. All they wish is to live safely. They do not even dare to make the extravagant demands of keeping warm and eating their fill. May I be so bold as to ask, soldiers, whose orders do you follow to insist on arousing the resentment of the people, forcing them to revolt? The court’s? Or the Sanyue Sect’s? Or is it your own malicious intentions that have made you turn traitor?” 

Wei Chengxiang: “…” 

She wanted to step forward right then, but Xi Ping unhurriedly said, “There are no cultivators nearby to hear her interrogate Sanyue’s shed skins’ Ways of the Heart, no need to worry—and she’s right.” 

Wei Chengxiang blurted out, “Does being right mean she can just come out and say it?” 

This question seemed to shut Xi Ping up. After a moment, he said with a laugh, “True, only children and young mistresses dare to say it so boldly. Let her say it, or else eventually, no one will even be able to see the lice on a bald man’s head. Can you use a hand cannon?” 

Wei Chengxiang said, “Wh…” 

The next moment, her consciousness was pulled into the Law Breaker. Two Moon Plated Gold hand cannons, obviously more compact and well-made than those Western Chu’s army was equipped with, were thrown towards her along with a bag of ammunition. 

Tai Sui said, “I will leave this place to you.” 

Then he sent her out of the Law Breaker. 

That brief moment had been enough for Wei Chengxiang to glimpse that the inside of the Law Breaker was piled full of weaponry. Her thoughts moved quickly: “Does Tai Sui want to take Tao County? Was he prepared in advance?” 

But there was no time to think carefully now. The centurion of Tao County’s garrisoned troops, as expected, was infuriated by this country girl with her mouth full of “big talk.” Pointing to Zhao Qindan, he said, “Fine, I see that you’re a spy from Southern Wan. These unruly civilians have not only been worshiping an evil cultivator in secret, they’ve also been sheltering foreign spies. Get them all! Those who have the audacity to rebel will be punished under the laws on treason. Shoot…”  

Before the words “shoot to kill” could leave his mouth, a sniper’s shot hit him right in the back of the head. The centurion, maintaining his posture with his hand raised, stiffened where he was, with a hole clear through his head, looking helplessly at the frightened people. 

The soldiers behind him didn’t understand what was happening. They were still hefting their hand cannons, waiting for the officer’s order. They didn’t expect the officer to twitch a couple times, then fall to his knees with a thump and hit the ground facedown, as if he were kowtowing to the frightened commoners in front of him. Finally, thick blood gurgled out. 

The soldier nearest to the centurion was so frightened his face turned ashen. Picking up his hand cannon, he was about to fire, but before he could move, a sniper’s shot, like a reaper, gathered him in. 

Wei Chengxiang passed through the dim alley like a ghoul. 

Others pursuing the Way relied on intensive study of techniques and spells, questioning their Way of the Heart, using spiritual energy to scour their meridians and cleanse their marrow. She had entered the Way through revenge. Most of the time, when she wasn’t killing people, she was fleeing. Immortal tools, downgraded immortal tools, even mortal firearms—she was familiar with anything that could kill. 

She was no longer the child who had cried at the mouth of Rat Alley because she had nowhere to go. 

The small patrol team of soldiers targeted by the “reaper” panicked, holding their heads and scurrying like rats looking for a place to hide while vainly attempting to fight back. 

Wei Chengxiang took down a man with each shot, but she was only one person, after all. When the good-for-nothings in the patrol team got scared, hand cannon fire began to fly. Zhao Qindan was busy protecting the crowd of neighbors and couldn’t help her. 

Soon, someone seized an opportunity to blow a sharp whistle. 

“Senior Tai Sui,” Wei Chengxiang said, panting as she pressed on the reincarnation wood, “how long do you need me to hold out?” 

Xi Ping said, “One ke.” 

Xi Ping hadn’t expected the conflict in Tao County to intensify this fast, but he was indeed not entirely unprepared. 

The corruption of Western Chu’s armed forces surpassed his imagination. Comparatively speaking, Great Wan’s officials, who spent all their time engaged in internal strife, could simply be described as squeaky clean—fallen into the hands of this bunch of North Xia Waterborne Troops, Tao County was worse off than under the control of the Sanyue Sect. At least the immortals had Ways of the Heart. Soon Tao County would become a pit of vipers, and it would be hard to say whose dowry he had been preparing with all his running around. 

Therefore, while the people’s resentment, which only he could hear, had been growing louder and louder, Xi Ping had sent a warning to Zhou Ying. 

A few days later, Bai Ling had sent a big batch of Great Wan weaponry, and the Luwu had prepared to face the garrisoned troops at any time. 

Right away, the disruption devices for the “flying books” buried throughout the streets and lanes were simultaneously turned on. 

The general’s tent at the former location of the Snake King’s Immortal Palace received no early warning. The first thing they heard was a mourning song in a mixture of Wan and Chu languages—a team of carriages in a funeral procession was passing through, playing music and singing. 

This bunch of country bumpkins was really fucking ridiculous. The bodyguard standing watch in front of the “general’s tent,” seeing the situation, immediately went forward to scold them. 

He saw a tall middle-aged man playing a huqin who seemed to have received orders from the officiant. He put the huqin aside and quickly walked over. 

The musician was all smiles, nodding and bowing, simultaneously reaching into his sleeve to feel around for something, as if he was looking for money to give to avoid trouble. “Coffins circle the town. That’s been our local custom for many years. We have no intention of giving offense.” 

The bodyguard’s expression softened. “But you can’t go through this way. Do you know what this place is?” 

“That’s right, don’t blame the ignorant.” The huqin player drew near as he spoke, quickly pulling something out of his sleeve. Hiding it with his hand, he passed it to the bodyguard. “Sir, you had better…” 

The bodyguard was just about to reach out a hand to accept the object when he suddenly met the musician’s eyes. 

The corners of the musician’s eyes were wrinkled into a thousand folds, but there was no smile in them. 

Wait, no, this was…

The next moment, the musician cleverly flipped his hand over, revealing what was in his palm. A palm-sized pure black hand cannon shot right through the bodyguard’s underbelly and bored up through his chest, but it only made a quiet pop. 

The bodyguard went to see the kings of the underworld without making a sound. The musician calmly caught him and almost inaudibly finished his sentence: “…be on your way already.” 

Then he propped up the corpse of the bodyguard, and staggered with him up to the general’s tent, as if they were two fast friends with their arms around each other’s shoulders. He kept saying, “Sir, sir, we have to hurry up to meet the auspicious time, sir…” 

The other guards in front of the general’s tent, seeing the situation, approached uncomprehendingly. The funeral procession dressed in mourning clothes suddenly rose up. The totally unprepared general’s tent’s defenses seemed to be made of paper. Under cover of night, the Luwu, exceedingly familiar with the terrain, drove in at lightning speed. 

All the “flying book” machines in the county only crackled. 

Meanwhile, Zhao Qindan, protecting the group of neighbors, dove into a back alley. She had to prop up the old and lead the young, and she had to convince the elderly, who couldn’t bear to give up their family possessions and kept trying to go back, to leave. When would the young mistress have done such a thing before? She was in a terrible fix. 

They had just gone through the winding little alleys and hadn’t yet had time to breathe a sigh of relief when the ground began to tremble. The garrisoned troops drawn by that earlier whistle that had been like an arrow piercing the clouds had rushed right over on horseback, even faster than they had anticipated! 

Wei Chengxiang changed her gun’s cartridge, her heart sinking. The front half of the lead rider’s horse was visible now. As if they had received word, it was wearing special bulletproof light armor. 

The horse was as swift as a gale. It blocked the path of Zhao Qindan and the others. Before he was even nearby, the horse’s rider pulled out a rifle five or six chi long and shot towards the crowd. 

There was a whizz, and a big all-encompassing net flashing with purple lightning fell.

A sparrow was just flying by and bumped right into the net. With a crackle, it became a roasted bird stuck to the net! 

Zhao Qindan had meant to stab with her sword. The sword was already half-raised. She was held back by a few people who had caught on quickly. The cavalryman’s protective armor easily deflected Wei Chengxiang’s firepower. The rifle didn’t move a hair. 

Wei Chengxiang had no other choice. She had to show herself. She suddenly leapt down from the canopy of an ancient tree that had yet to meet with calamity. Using her own weight, she stamped on the cavalryman. 

The horse stumbled under her weighty fall. Neighing, it raised its front hooves. The rifle fell from the cavalryman’s hands, but the other cavalrymen were following close behind. In a moment, countless hand cannons were pointed at Wei Chengxiang, clicking as they loaded. 

At such a close distance, even with spiritual energy to protect her, a half-immortal wouldn’t necessarily have been able to escape unharmed from hand cannon fire. In a place where spiritual energy was prohibited, wouldn’t she be shot up into a sieve? 

Zhao Qindan, held back by many hands, suddenly opened her eyes wide and struggled desperately. “Let go of…” 

At this moment of imminent peril, there came another sharp whistle. 

A mounted soldier with the look of one of the general’s personal guards rushed over hoisting the flag of command. His voice reached them before he did: “Orders from the general. Do not disturb the civilians. Anyone who dares to discharge a weapon within the county will be punished under martial law!” 

The cavalrymen with their fingers already holding down the triggers raised the muzzles of their guns just in time. Cold sweat rolled down Wei Chengxiang’s concave back to her waist. 

The cavalryman who had just been kicked off his horse climbed miserably to his feet. Seeing the flag of command and the token in the hands of the newcomer, he had to swallow down all his discontent. “Reporting to the captain, our brothers have captured some armed Southern Wan spies.” 

The mounted soldier delivering the order raised his chin haughtily. “Take them away. Have the general take care of them.” 

In the general’s tent, the musician in mourning dress—Xi Ping—was just examining an unconscious fat man in front of him with amazement. 

The North Xia Waterborne’s Troops’ Marquis of Qulong, Zheng Bin, was a half-immortal. Naturally he wouldn’t come to an awful place like this, where the use of spiritual energy was prohibited. The so-called “general” making trouble in Tao County now was only a sixth-rank officer under the Marquis of Qulong. He looked as though he weighed over three hundred jin. When he had been knocked unconscious, he’d fallen on Xi Ping’s foot, and it was still aching faintly now. 

Due to his partiality towards his san-ge and his personal good opinion of Princess Duanrui, he occasionally thought that while the Zhou family was bad, Xuanyin Mountain’s treachery had come first, and the lunatics born alongside those with innate spiritual bones had also been forced into existence by Xuanyin Mountain. 

But now he had suddenly realized that if Xuanyin Mountain hadn’t been keeping the Zhou family down for over a thousand years, Great Wan would be another Western Chu. 

The right and wrong of it was hard to judge. 

Just then, from outside the tent came the voice of a guard: “General, two female spies from Southern Wan have been captured!” 

Xi Ping’s eyes turned. Beside him, a Luwu who had been a mimic by profession immediately imitated the officer’s voice and said: “Understood. Lock them up for now. I will personally question them shortly.” 

“Yes, sir!” 

This wouldn’t work in the long run. There weren’t necessarily a hundred thousand garrisoned troops in the country, but there were several tens of thousands, and the Luwu only had a few people. If they were exposed, no amount of skill would help. 

So Xi Ping contacted Bai Ling through the reincarnation wood: “Bai Ling-da-ge, how long do we need to hold out?” 

“It won’t be very long,” Bai Ling answered quickly. “Zheng Bin isn’t a seamless egg. Also, my lord has instructed you to hide yourself. Only pass information, do not get involved.” 

Xi Ping: “…” 

Bai Ling immediately sensed something from his momentary silence. “Viscount, where are you?” 

Xi Ping silently removed the foot he had planted on the mountain of flesh that was the officer. “Hss…well…I may be a little close to the former location of the Snake King’s Immortal Palace…” 

Bai Ling said, “…You’d better enjoy your last meal.” 

On the fifth day of the ninth month, the Zhaos paid their respects to some important personages from Sanyue’s West Peak, including Xiang Wenqing, at Dongheng’s Sage’s Palace, meant for worship of the sages. When they entered, a number of unobtrusive footmen were unexpectedly lit up by the inscriptions on the walls. 

It turned out that the murals on all four walls of the Sage’s Palace had inscriptions hidden in them. All the spiritual energy in the Sage’s Palace circulated in a special way. When it passed through a human body, it would cast different shadows on the wall, projecting that person’s spiritual image. 

Once a cultivator’s spiritual eyes had opened and their meridians had connected to heaven and earth, spiritual energy would pass through their bodies differently than it passed through those of mortals. The spiritual image masks couldn’t disguise that. These footmen who ought to have been mortals were hit by the spiritual energy—it turned out that they were all half-immortals, including body servants of the clan leader. The Luwu’s infiltration had reached so far! 

Xiang Wenqing attacked at once, but these half-immortal Luwu had some strange immortal tools. They actually disappeared from under the eyes of a middle period ascended sprit. In their wild rush, these Luwu “just happened” to run right into Princess Qiyang’s carriage team returning from an autumn outing. 

The panicked desperate criminals collided indiscriminately with the team. Amid the rapidly changing events, the Marquis of Qulong, on assignment on the distant Xia River, undertaking the important task of governing Tao County, heard the sad news of his loved one’s death a thousand li away. 

Meanwhile, in the Sanyue Immortal Mountains, a figure sitting upright in the middle of a lotus pond sensed something, swayed slightly, and opened his eyes.