Twin Dimension Yin-Yang Mirror: Attaining immortality through the martial path
Chapter 359 - 322 Blood Shadow, Hatred, Soul Locking, Soul Devouring

Chapter 359: Chapter 322 Blood Shadow, Hatred, Soul Locking, Soul Devouring

"Don’t talk nonsense," the General’s Mansion has already issued an order forbidding the mention of these things."

"Can it really be stopped? I’ve also heard people secretly saying that the Red Lotus Army has already killed hundreds of people outside the city, and they will soon attack the city."

"With the General here, we shouldn’t..."

At this point, the person couldn’t continue speaking.

Clearly, they were reminded of the situation inside the city where they were forced to not make a move, only to watch helplessly as tragedies unfolded.

"How has it already become this chaotic in such a short time?"

Zhou Ping’an finally realized more deeply the true weight of the words "chaotic times."

At the end of the dynasty, smoke and dust rose together.

Aside from oppressing the common people, the Official Government was completely ineffective...

Especially in years of natural disasters and calamities, the scene was even more broken, resembling hell.

At the slightest disturbance,

the citizens of the city would immediately become panicked and fearful, lacking any sense of security.

He suspected that if he stayed in the modern world for just ten more days or half a month, Qingyang City here might have been completely finished.

Zhou Ping’an looked up at the sky once again.

He silently estimated the time.

And found that the Broken Mirror was still reliable; the time he had left was actually not long, at most only about ten hours.

"There’s still time."

He silently walked out from the shade of the trees and, like the panic-stricken citizens looking around and rushing about, he merged into the crowd.

Even if he encountered people fighting in the streets or others stealthily stealing, he paid no attention.

Approaching the vicinity of the County Yamen,

his spirit reached out and he discovered that the familiar Qi was not inside.

After considering for a moment, he turned and headed straight south.

When he arrived at Guangji Mansion,

Zhou Ping’an did not approach.

The place was relaxed inside but tense outside.

Ambushes were laid everywhere.

Not only were there three thousand elite infantry and cavalry hidden among the surrounding residential buildings and shops, but even Lin Huaiyu and Green Lady, the two strong practitioners in the True Qi Realm, were also lying in ambush inside the mansion.

Because they did not know when he would emerge from seclusion,

the two female generals were truly anxious and had a grave expression at this moment.

Waiting in full readiness.

’The Third Miss’s response was not wrong. At this time, the place within the city that indeed cannot afford any mishaps is Guangji Institute.

However, if she could think of this, the enemy surely could as well. Defending this place with heavy troops also falls into the enemy’s calculations.’

Zhou Ping’an thought it over carefully and realized that if he were in Lin Huaiyu’s position,

he would certainly call troops over for defense as well.

However, they might not necessarily be able to wait for the enemy to arrive.

The methods of the demonic people from the Blood Shadow Sect were unpredictable and devious, revealing their cruelty as soon as they made a move.

Moreover, this time was not like the previous encirclement and suppression of the Chen Family.

Although the Patriarch of the Chen Family, Chen Xiaoyi, managed to escape through underground tunnels with his life, his younger family members and six to seventy people from his household were all slaughtered.

For Chen Xiaoyi, this was an enmity as deep as the sea.

Now returning to make a comeback,

he surely would not come alone.

Nor would he merely lurk and cause some minor sabotage.

Lin Huaiyu only anticipated that these people were likely to cause some major incident, but she did not calculate how deep the shadow in Chen Xiaoyi’s heart actually was.

How deeply buried was his hatred?

’If things go as expected, this time, not only will Chen Xiaoyi strike back, but even his cheap father who castrated himself to join the Cui Family, Chen Dazhong, might also rush back here.’

A flash of inspiration struck Zhou Ping’an.

He considered this possibility.

He remembered that when the Green Lady had spoken of the life of Fang Buping, the Helm Master of the Guangyun Red Lotus Branch, she once mentioned him in passing.

This Fang Buping had carried out beheading missions twenty-eight times, and each was a huge success.

While being undefeated in battle, he had also established a notorious reputation.

It was also said that this man had fought with Chen Dazhong, the head steward of the Cui Mansion, and neither could claim victory over the other...

The news that Chen Dazhong had practiced the Blood Shadow Technique was known to very few in the Jianghu, and even if someone else mentioned it, he naturally would not admit it.

On the surface, he was still an extremely powerful practitioner of the Yin Extreme Technique, a Martial Intent Realm expert.

In Guangyun County, his fame was second only to Lin Zhongguang, Guangyun’s Number One Blade.

He guarded the inner courtyards of the Cui Mansion routinely and had killed unknowably many Jianghu experts.

As for Cui Guangling.

He was even more enigmatic.

The world only knew of his competent governance and exceptionally accomplished military strategies.

They did not know that he was also a martial arts expert.

Zhou Ping’an would have been better off not knowing this information.

Now that he knew Chen Dazhong was not just an expert of the Yin Extreme Technique on the surface but was actually practicing the Blood Shadow Divine Skill at the core, he immediately grew suspicious.

Thinking about how close the Divine Envoy Zhong Ming and Chen Xiaoyi appeared to be, all buddy-buddy,

He understood that Chen Dazhong, the old household steward of the Chen Family, probably did not genuinely have nothing better to do than to attack Fang Buping.

Between them,

It was mostly likely all an act.

Fang Buping aimed to carry out an assassination.

And eight or nine times out of ten, Chen Dazhong would assist from the sidelines.

Thinking that catching rabbits by snaring is the first aspect, his first thought should be of revenge.

How to take revenge in the most satisfying way?

Certainly not by killing hundreds of unrelated children...

Zhou Ping’an’s mind was crystal-clear.

Once he thought of this,

His figure turned into a wisp of light smoke, and, using the twilight as cover, he immediately rushed back to the County Yamen.

The strongest place is also the weakest.

The place least likely to be attacked is the enemy’s primary target.

Zhou Ping’an did not greet Lin Huaiyu or the Green Lady and the others.

They were naturally taking on their roles,

Waiting in full battle array.

Just right.

...

In the backyard of the County Yamen.

Little Jiu’er sat obediently on a small stool, holding a book on alchemy with a frown of concentration.

Beside her, Old Man Qing with white hair and beard was not far off, gently wielding his medicine hoe, tending to the soil and planting herbs, occasionally turning to look at Little Jiu’er, showing a tender smile on his face.

The older one gets, the more they tend to like children.

Although Elder Qing usually devoted all his thoughts to alchemy, he could not escape this mundane rule.

Just by seeing Little Jiu’er.

His heart would melt.

His actions while turning the soil became less nimble.

Of the ten parts of his attention, seven were on the little girl.

Further off, Xiao Cui, holding a short sword, leaned against a screen pillar, looking skyward as if she were counting the white petals of the vines at the eaves, or perhaps lost in her thoughts.

Xiao Xue, on the other hand, was embroidering mandarin ducks on a handkerchief.

Her eyes were filled with tenderness.

They were not nervous.

They all knew that Elder Qing in the Herbal Garden was a powerful expert of the Gang Qi Realm at the Eighth Level Mortal Refinement.

Even though he was too old and could no longer engage in full-force combat for long periods of time,

his strength was still there, intimidating in its presence.

Moreover, should any mishap occur within the mansion and there be any disturbance, a signal would be immediately sent out.

The city’s troops would arrive at once.

Lin Huaiyu would return with the fastest speed possible.

No matter what,

it was inconceivable that someone would attack the County Yamen and prevent Old Man Qing and the maidservants from even sending out a warning signal, right?

That would be a complete joke.

...

As the last streak of red twilight vanished beneath the western ground,

the light dimmed accordingly.

At the same time, Xiao Cui and Xiao Xue also felt a sinking feeling in their hearts.

A baseless melancholy surfaced from within them.

Life seemed so meaningless, an empty cycle of coming and going, not worth the process of living it, better to end it then and there.

They thought they could smell the fragrance of hell.

It wasn’t just the two of them thinking this way.

All the servants and maids near the Herbal Garden in the back yard of the County Yamen felt their spirits sink, plunging into darkness with the clouds at the edge of the sky.

Little Jiu’er shifted her gaze from the book.

She turned to look and saw a swath of crimson engulfing her like an ocean.

In her ears, she seemed to hear the shocked and angry cry of Grandfather Qing beside her.

"Run for it!"

The elderly voice sounded as if coming from the horizon, somewhat unclear.

She didn’t really want to hear it clearly either.

It was as if she had sunk into the sweetest of dreams.

Everything was a radiant red around her, countless beautiful flowers bloomed everywhere, so delicate one could hardly breathe for fear of blowing away the petals.

Even the blood-red palm that touched her neck felt like a fine jade or gem, eliciting such awe that she had no desire to avoid it.

Just as Little Jiu’er was thinking this, suddenly, in this beautiful dreamscape, another palm appeared.

It was slender and powerful, with fingertips glowing faintly with golden light, and a crescent-shaped jade-colored birthmark above the wrist which was so strikingly familiar.

"Brother Ping’an."

This hand was all too familiar to Little Jiu’er.

It always had goodies and fun things for her.

It would also gently lead her through the streets to enjoy the excitement.

Of course, it could also raise a storm and slay all enemies.

Just like what was happening now.

That pristine palm shining with golden light suddenly pressed onto the blood jade-like crimson palm.

The red palm fractured like porcelain struck by a hammer, first revealing countless spiderweb cracks.

In a mere instant,

it shattered into thousands of fragments.

A ghastly scream, like that of a ghost, echoed in her ears.

The bright red around her receded like a tide.

The dreamlike state was wrenched away in the blink of an eye.

Immediately, there were high-pitched calls from all directions.

"Thief, die!"

"Help..."

"Kill!"

That was the reaction of others within the County Yamen.

But they were far away and could only shout hoarsely.

Even Elder Qing, who was closest, only managed two slow steps, as if stuck in a quagmire.

The sole exception was a lean figure in a blue shirt, growing rapidly like a plant in the wind.

The bloated and massive body blew his clothing into scattered wisps.

Upon uttering a fierce cry, the luminous giant figure took a step forward.

The entire County Yamen shuddered slightly.

Little Jiu’er felt the ground surge like ocean waves, almost losing her balance.

She forced her eyes wide open and saw the towering, golden figure throw a punch that shattered the void in front of him like a glass mirror into countless pieces.

The explosive Qi Force roared like thousands of thunderstorms.

The shockwave that just emerged was about to sweep all around,

but then it reeled back.

The power condensed into a massive wave, repeatedly smashing and recoiling.

A Blood Shadow fled frantically.

Struck by this punch, it coalesced and shattered again and again.

In a single breath,

that beam of blood light had dissipated countless times.

Little Jiu’er only heard the screams of the assailant growing weaker and weaker until they were barely audible.

Finally, it became a puddle of filthy blood on the ground.

"Whoosh..."

Drenching a patch of the Medicinal Fields.

"Soul Locking!"

Zhou Ping’an brought out all his skills, ignoring the "Fragrance of the Blood Sea" Martial Intent’s invasion, remaining unswayed, and burst forth with all his strength...

In an instant, he threw eighty-one punches,

fusing all his strength into a single area of three feet.

Sure enough,

under the ultimate force of the onslaught,

even a high expert of Blood Shadow, who could transform into blood light and shift between reality and illusion, couldn’t withstand such relentless pounding.

His physical body was smashed to pieces, his spirit scattered to disarray.

Yet,

Zhou Ping’an still sensed that the filthy blood soaked into the soil was still twitching, possessing some vestige of life force.

He hadn’t died outright.

He had a good idea who the assailant was; it must be Chen Dazhong, the head steward of the Cui Mansion...

At that moment, he dared not be careless; without a second thought, his Sea of Consciousness stirred, Fire Karma Contemplation was invoked, turning into a sturdy chain that firmly locked onto the tainted blood.

Simultaneously,

a faint cry was heard from within the beads.

"Soul Devouring."

A grey-black Yin Qi extended from the Yin Spirit Bead and pounced on the tainted blood.

Like a whale drawing water, tiny specks of light were absorbed into the Yin Spirit Bead.

At that moment, the writhing, filthy blood lost all motion and went quiet.

...

Requesting for Monthly Pass.