46: The Yellow Springs dripped down, and the whole city was filled with stray dogs.
Dawn's first light appeared; after the rain, the Southern Commandery city carried a damp, cold chill.
Inside the Listening to Rain Pavilion, Lin Que stood before the three "Night Owl" assassins frozen into ice sculptures, twiddling a small bottle carved from black jade between his fingers.
The bottle's body was icy, faintly emitting a heart-palpitating aura of gray Death Qi.
One of the six treasures of Wuyou Hall—[Yellow Springs Water].
Rumor has it this water is taken from the banks of the Wangchuan River in the Nine Nether Underworld, being extremely Yin and evil. The living die upon contact, while the dead... transform into unliving, undying, immensely strong, and bloodthirsty Monsters.
"The outside is already tightly surrounded."
Lin Que released his Divine Sense and could clearly sense that the hidden sentries at the alley entrance were twice as many as yesterday.
The Demon Suppression Division's Patrolling Commissioner is a clever man. He didn't forcibly attack the Listening to Rain Pavilion (after all, this place is a notorious haunted house, and a forced attack could easily cause a backlash); instead, he chose a siege. He was waiting for Lin Que to show a weakness, or for the turtle in the jar to crawl out on its own.
"Unfortunately, I don't have time to waste with you."
Lin Que uncorked the black jade bottle.
A visible gray mist instantly diffused, the surrounding temperature plummeted, and even the Red-Clothed Child Maiden floating in the air screamed in fear, ducking into the Talisman and refusing to come out.
Lin Que tilted his wrist slightly, carefully pouring out a drop of turbid yellow water.
That single drop of water landed precisely on the brow of the assassin leader, who had the highest cultivation and strongest physique.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
It was like hot oil being poured onto raw meat.
The ice sculpture melted instantly.
Immediately after, that corpse, which had been completely dead, suddenly began to twitch violently!
Crack! Crack!
The tooth-grinding sound of bones popping rang out.
The corpse's skin rapidly turned grayish-black, and a layer of inch-long black hair grew over it; its nails shot out three inches, like daggers forged from refined steel; its previously closed eyes snapped open, devoid of pupils, showing only a chaotic, ghastly white.
Roar—!!
A roar that didn't sound human was squeezed out of the "Monster's" throat.
Its aura actually surged from the Late Stage Kaiyuan Realm to a terrifying level comparable to the Early Stage Spirit Sea Realm in just a few breaths!
Even more frighteningly, the Nine Nether Cold Poison Lin Que had previously transferred into it still remained in its body.
At this moment, it wasn't just a Monster, but a walking "Cold Poison Bomb."
"Go."
Lin Que patted the Monster's iron-hard shoulder and pointed toward the Iron Sword Sect's base, the most densely populated area of the Nanjun Outer City and where various forces were most mixed.
"Go and turn everything upside down."
"Roar!!"
The Monster seemed to understand the command, or perhaps it was driven by the higher-tier "Nine Nether aura" on Lin Que's body.
It suddenly smashed through the courtyard wall like an out-of-control black beast and disappeared into the morning mist... Fifteen minutes later.
Nanjun Outer City, Iron Sword Sect Branch.
Because the Sect Leader had perished, white banners were hanging here, and hundreds of Disciples were dressed in mourning clothes; the atmosphere was sorrowful and solemn.
Boom!
With a loud crash, the heavy vermilion gates of the branch were smashed to pieces like they were made of paper!
"Who is it?! How dare you intrude upon the Iron Sword Sect's mourning hall?!"
The guarding Disciples drew their swords in rage.
However, what answered him was a sharp claw covered in black hair.
Puchi!
That Early Stage Origin Opening Realm Disciple was torn in half along with his sword! The spraying blood instantly stimulated the intruding Monster.
"Roar!!"
The Monster roared at the sky, and a terrifying black cold Qi erupted from its body. Any Disciple within three zhang felt as if their blood was about to freeze, and their movements became incredibly sluggish.
"Monster! There's a Monster!!"
"Quickly, go get the Elder!!"
Screams and cries of alarm instantly pierced the sky.
But this was only the beginning.
The Monster had no rationality; in its slaughter, it smelled more scents of the living—the black market on the next street, and the Pill Tower Branch further away.
It was like a tireless meat grinder, crashing through everything in its path. Wherever it went, houses collapsed, limbs flew, and the cold poison raged!
The entire Nanjun Outer City fell into Chaos... At the Southern Commandery West Gate, atop the city tower.
The Patrolling Commissioner was sitting comfortably in a grand chair, holding a cup of hot tea, leisurely watching the inspection teams below.
He was waiting.
He believed that youth was still in the city; as long as he guarded this sole exit, it would be like catching a turtle in a jar.
However.
"Roar—!!"
The terrifying roar coming from the distance made his hand holding the tea pause slightly.
Following that, a plume of black smoke rose in the city, accompanied by chaotic screams and cries for help.
"Report—!!"
A Demon Suppressing Guard, covered in blood, rushed onto the city tower, his voice filled with terror:
"My Lord! Something has happened! An unknown Monster has suddenly appeared in the city! It has immense strength, is invulnerable to blades, and emits a poisonous cold Qi! The Iron Sword Sect Branch has already been slaughtered! The Monster is charging toward the Civilian District!"
"A Monster?"
The Patrolling Commissioner frowned and stood up abruptly.
He looked into the distance and saw Demonic Qi soaring over the chaotic streets; that aura of gray Death Qi could be smelled even from miles away.
"A Monster?!"
The Patrolling Commissioner's pupils shrank, and the laziness on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of gravity.
How could such a thing appear inside Southern Commandery City?!
If it were allowed to rampage in the Civilian District, the casualties would likely number in the thousands! When the superiors blamed him later, even his head as the Patrolling Commissioner would be at risk!
"Damn it!"
The Patrolling Commissioner smashed his teacup, glanced at the city gate close at hand, then at the distant streets where fires were raging.
This was an overt scheme.
A blatant attempt to lure the tiger away from the mountain!
But he had no choice. The duty of the Demon Suppression Division was to slay demons and oversee the world. If he ignored a demon massacring the city just to catch a suspect, it would be putting the cart before the horse.
"All Demon Suppressing Guards, follow me to eliminate the evil!!"
The Patrolling Commissioner shouted angrily, leapt down from the city tower, and turned into an afterimage, racing toward the Monster.
With the large-scale mobilization of the Demon Suppressing Guards and the City Guard, the once rock-solid blockade of the city gate instantly developed a huge gap... Amidst the chaotic crowd.
A wealthy-looking middle-aged merchant wearing a silk robe and holding a pet cat (the disguised Little Snow Ferret) was mixed in with the fleeing commoners, squeezing toward the city gate with a look of terror.
"Run! The Monster is eating people!"
The middle-aged merchant shouted while seemingly panicking but skillfully squeezing to the city gate.
At this time, only a few ordinary City Guards remained, already scared out of their wits by the distant tragedy; they had no heart left for inspections.
"Don't push! One by one!"
"Oh, officer! I don't even want my goods anymore! I just want to save my life!"
The merchant casually dropped several bundles filled with valuables (actually filled with stones) and, while the guards were busy picking up the money, slipped out of the city gate like a slippery loach.
After leaving the city and traveling another ten miles.
The "wealthy merchant" with the terrified face suddenly stopped.
He turned back, looking at the billowing black smoke rising over Southern Commandery City and the faint, exasperated roars belonging to the Patrolling Commissioner.
Lin Que wiped his face.
The wealthy merchant disappeared, replaced by the tall youth with cold eyes.
"One drop of Yellow Springs Water in exchange for a way out."
"This deal isn't a loss."
Lin Que stroked the Little Snow Ferret in his arms, a slight curve appearing at the corner of his mouth:
"Lord Patrolling Commissioner, I hope you like this parting gift."
That Monster, though it only had the combat strength of the Early Stage Spirit Sea Realm, in the narrow terrain of the city and with that Nine Nether Cold Poison, even the Patrolling Commissioner would lose a layer of skin to take it down.
More importantly, this would completely distract the Southern Commandery's attention.
Who would care about a small Loose Cultivator who slipped out of the city during the Chaos?
Lin Que turned around and took out the map pieced together from the tattered scroll of fallen treasures.
On the map, the final red dot was located in a canyon eight hundred miles northwest of the Southern Commandery.
Ten Thousand Snakes Valley.
"Let's go."
Lin Que transformed the thousand changes multi-treasure pearl into a simple iron sword, carried it on his back, and strode toward the wilderness.
"Ten Thousand Snakes Valley!"
"I hope the 'old friends' there... are a bit more welcoming than the people in Southern Commandery City."