190: Chapter 190 Why hasn't Fairy Pei's skirt gotten shorter yet?

Cao Kun's brow furrowed.

The Prince's Mansion? Is it that old geezer Bi Yuntao's dog?

He pushed open the door and strode out of the courtyard.

Outside the courtyard gate stood five or six Cultivators dressed in the attire of the Great Yan Dynasty's Prince's Mansion, each with their noses turned up to the sky.

The leader was a middle-aged manager with a handlebar mustache.

He had a cultivation at the Early stage of Spirit Severing, a protruding belly, and was pretentiously rolling two jade walnuts in his hand.

This man was named Zhao Dezhu, a die-hard confidant of Bi Yuntao's faction.

Today, under the guise of visiting a distinguished guest, he was actually acting on Bi Yuntao's orders to probe Cao Kun's background.

Zhao Dezhu looked Cao Kun up and down as he came out.

"Oh, so this is the distinguished guest Her Majesty the Empress invited from some backwater wilderness?"

Zhao Dezhu sneered, his Face full of disdain, the speed at which he rolled the walnuts in his hand increasing slightly.

"He doesn't look like much. His hair hasn't even fully grown in yet, and he dares to act wild in the Great Yan Imperial Capital?"

Cao Kun looked at him expressionlessly.

Was this the level of intelligence of the Great Yan Prince's subordinates?

Do they not bring their brains when they leave the house?

Seeing that Cao Kun didn't speak, Zhao Dezhu thought he was intimidated by the reputation of the Great Yan Prince's Mansion, and he became even more carried away.

"Kid, I heard you offended the Taichu Holy Land?"

"I advise you to be sensible and get out of the Imperial Capital quickly! Lest you implicate our Great Yan! His Highness the Prince is magnanimous; he might even leave you with an intact corpse!"

Cao Kun raised an eyebrow.

"Bi Yuntao's man?"

Zhao Dezhu's eyes widened, and he barked sharply, "How bold! Is the Prince's name something an outsider Loose Cultivator like you can call directly? You're looking for—"

Cao Kun had just finished enjoying himself in the Demon Suppressing Tower, so his mood was actually quite good.

Seeing this eyesore of a creature barking in front of him, he was directly laughed out of anger.

"Where did this stray dog come from without a leash, barking all over my place?"

Before his voice had even faded.

Zhao Dezhu felt a gust of strong wind hit his Face.

He didn't even have time to circulate his protective spiritual Qi.

Slap!

A loud explosion erupted at the entrance of the villa.

Cao Kun raised his hand and delivered a massive slap, striking Zhao Dezhu squarely on the Face.

Violent Chaos Qi surged from his palm into Zhao Dezhu's skull.

His head spun a full seven hundred and twenty degrees on his neck.

Crack, crack—

The neck bones shattered inch by inch, and the flesh was twisted like a rope.

His Physical Body died on the spot.

The remaining five followers were all dumbfounded.

Their eyes were wide, and their legs wouldn't stop trembling; they even forgot to run away.

Dead?

A manager at the Early stage of Spirit Severing was slapped to death just like that?

Zhao Dezhu's Primordial Spirit fled in terror from his mangled shell.

Screaming, it tried to flee toward the Prince's Mansion.

"Think you can escape?"

Cao Kun raised his right hand and made a grasping motion through the air.

A massive suction force erupted, directly snatching Zhao Dezhu's Primordial Spirit back and pinning it firmly in his palm.

With his other hand, he beckoned, pulling the transmission Jade Slip from Zhao Dezhu's waist.

"Send a message to your master, Bi Yuntao."

Cao Kun stared at the struggling Primordial Spirit in his hand, his tone icy cold.

"Tell him to bring ten million Top-Grade Spirit Stones to redeem you."

"If he's not here in half an hour, I'll let him witness my methods."

...

Meanwhile.

In a secret room within the Great Yan Prince's Mansion.

Prince Bi Yuntao was sitting in the main seat.

Opposite him sat a secret envoy sent by the Taichu Holy Land.

The two were in deep conversation, plotting how to coordinate from inside and out once they entered the Ancient God Ruins.

They planned to kill Empress Yue Chan and that arrogant brat named Cao Kun together.

"Rest assured, Your Highness. The Holy Lord has already given strict orders."

The secret envoy picked up his teacup and blew on the foam.

"Within the Divine Ruins, that man named Cao will certainly die. If Yue Chan dares to protect him, we'll eliminate her as well."

Bi Yuntao stroked his beard and laughed loudly.

"Good! With the Holy Land taking action, this Prince can rest easy."

"Once it's done, I will not go back on my word regarding the territory and Luck promised to the Holy Land."

Just as he finished speaking.

The transmission Jade Slip hanging at Bi Yuntao's waist lit up.

He glanced down and saw that it was from Zhao Dezhu.

To show off his power in the Great Yan Imperial Capital before the Taichu envoy.

He deliberately set the Jade Slip's audio to broadcast out loud.

"The person I sent to investigate that man named Cao's background has sent word. Why don't you listen in, Envoy?"

Bi Yuntao injected spiritual Qi to activate the Jade Slip.

The next second, Zhao Dezhu's shrill, pig-slaughtering cry for help came from the Jade Slip.

"My Lord! Help me, My Lord! Cao Kun is going to kill me!"

Immediately after, Cao Kun's extremely arrogant extortion echoed through the secret room.

"Bi Yuntao, your dog is in my hands. Bring ten million Top-Grade Spirit Stones to Yunlan Villa within half an hour to redeem him."

"If you're short by even one stone, I'll use his Primordial Spirit as a sky lantern."

The atmosphere in the secret room instantly became awkward to the extreme.

The Taichu envoy looked at Bi Yuntao with a strange expression.

This is what you called 'towering power'?

Your man is being held by someone demanding a ransom!

Bi Yuntao's old Face flushed red with anger, the veins on his forehead bulging.

Ten million Top-Grade Spirit Stones? Does this kid think they're cabbages!

As a dignified Great Yan Prince, his entire net worth accumulated over the years only added up to a little over three million Top-Grade Spirit Stones.

He was supposed to bankrupt himself to redeem a confidant at the Soul Transformation Stage?

What a joke!

Having lost Face, Bi Yuntao decisively refused.

He roared into the Jade Slip.

"Not a single Spirit Stone! Just try touching my man! This Prince will certainly grind your bones to ashes!"

After speaking, to hide his embarrassment, Bi Yuntao unilaterally cut off the transmission.

"Arrogant brat! This is simply too much!"

The Taichu envoy put down his teacup and coughed twice.

"Calm your anger, Your Highness. Such a clown won't live for more than a few days."

...

At the entrance of Yunlan Villa.

Cao Kun looked at the dimmed Jade Slip in his hand and curled his lip.

"You heard it too."

He looked down at Zhao Dezhu's despairing Primordial Spirit with a Face full of mockery.

"Your master is a broke loser with no sincerity at all."

"He can't even produce ten million, yet he's still a Prince? Since he won't pay, you're useless."

"No! Elder Cao, have mercy—"

Bang!

Cao Kun closed his fingers, directly crushing Zhao Dezhu's Primordial Spirit into a cloud of light points that dissipated in the wind.

He casually threw the Jade Slip onto the ground.

He turned to look at the five followers who were kneeling on the ground in terror.

"Go, find a few of the thickest hemp ropes."

Cao Kun beckoned to the servants peering out from the villa.

Soon, several thick hemp ropes were brought over.

He pointed to the crooked-necked Spiritual Locust Tree outside the courtyard, which was dozens of feet high.

"Strip these pieces of trash naked and hang them upside down from it."

"Then find a brush and write a few large characters on their bellies."

Cao Kun rubbed his chin and smirked.

"Write... 'Broke loser Bi Yuntao's dogs.' Write the characters large and hang them high for everyone passing by to have a good look."

The villa's servants didn't dare to disobey this malevolent star's orders and rushed forward together.

The five followers didn't even have the courage to resist, letting the servants strip them of their clothes.

Large brushes were used to write the characters in flowing strokes on their bellies. Finally, they were hung in a row from the branches like cured meat.

Swaying in the wind.

Just as Cao Kun was admiring his masterpiece with satisfaction.

A waft of fragrant wind approached.

Pei Qinglan, wearing a pair of exquisite High-Heeled Spiritual Boots, walked over gracefully.

As soon as she reached the villa entrance, she saw the row of pale bodies hanging upside down from the tree and the prominent large characters on their bellies.

Pei Qinglan was first stunned, then she covered her mouth and burst into giggles.

Her impressive chest trembled along with her laughter.

"Oh my, Young Master Cao certainly has quite the methods."

Pei Qinglan walked to Cao Kun's side, her eyes twinkling with a bit of mischief.

"You've only been here for half a day, and you've already ground the Prince's Mansion's Face into the dirt."

"In this Imperial Capital, you're the first one who's dared to do such a thing."

Cao Kun unabashedly admired Pei Qinglan's stunning figure.

His gaze lingered on her hemline for a moment as he teased her.

"Fairy Pei, coming to see me so late at night, have you finally figured things out?"

Pei Qinglan gave him a sidelong glance and chided flirtatiously,

"Figured what out?"

Cao Kun leaned in a step closer.

"Figured out that you want to have a heart-to-heart talk with me."

"Last time on the Flying Boat, you said next time you'd wear it shorter and show me in private."

"I've waited for so many days, and I haven't seen this skirt of yours get any shorter."

Pei Qinglan was teased by his improper tone until the tips of her ears turned slightly red, and she took a half-step back to create some distance.

This man's courage was truly boundless.

He had just killed the Prince's man, and yet he immediately had the mind to flirt with her here.

"Young Master Cao must be joking. Qinglan has come tonight on the orders of Her Majesty the Empress."

Pei Qinglan decisively changed the subject, her expression becoming serious.

"Her Majesty the Empress is hosting a banquet in the palace."

"She wants the Prodigies Great Yan has prepared for the Ancient God Ruins to meet you."

"To recognize you as their commander."

After hearing this, Cao Kun's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Recognize the commander?"

The local Prodigies of the Great Yan Dynasty—which one of them wasn't proud and arrogant?

To expect them to willingly follow the orders of an outside Loose Cultivator?

That was simply a pipe dream.

This wasn't some welcoming banquet the Empress was hosting; it was clearly a 'Hongmen Banquet.'

She was using him as a whetstone.

Seeing Cao Kun's insightful gaze, Pei Qinglan didn't deny it, but instead said frankly:

"The Great Yan Prodigies are indeed unruly."

"If Young Master Cao finds it difficult, I will go back and decline Her Majesty now."

"Decline? Why would I decline?"

Cao Kun brushed some dust off his sleeve.

"My hands have been itching lately anyway."

"I don't mind helping the Empress teach these greenhouse flowers a lesson."

"Let's go, Fairy Pei, lead the way!"

Pei Qinglan