94: Chapter 94 Death Penalty in Guanhai County

Prefect Yin Wuji's legs turned into talons—thick, powerful, and tipped with pitch-black claws.

Behind him, a pair of massive wings unfurled, spanning fully thirty feet and casting a shadow over the prefecture gate.

The imperial guards were blown off balance by the gusts stirred up by his wings; some tumbled to the ground while others clung tightly to their horses' necks.

Some simply lay flat on the ground with their eyes closed, trembling all over.

Several of the eunuchs had already fainted, while the rest slumped on the ground, their trousers soaked through.

Having transformed into a giant half-human, half-peng demon, Prefect Yin Wuji stood before the prefecture gate, looming over Qilianshan from above.

The corners of his mouth split open into a grin, revealing gleaming white fangs inside.

"I am going to Guanhai County. Who dares stand in my way?"

He looked down at Qilianshan, his dark red eyes filled with rage.

Qilianshan stood there, looking up at Prefect Yin Wuji's true form, his face remaining entirely expressionless.

He spoke in a steady, even voice.

"The imperial decree is here. Prefect Yin Wuji, do you intend to defy the imperial decree?"

"Heh, I am going to Guanhai County anyway. Who could possibly stop me?"

Prefect Yin Wuji paid no heed to Qilianshan's threat.

Hearing this, Pei Se, who was amidst the imperial guards, caught her breath.

She had accompanied the decree-bearing entourage on this trip.

Naturally, her goal was to prevent Prefect of Zhenhai Prefecture Prefect Yin Wuji from going to Guanhai County to trouble the deity who had yet to recover to full strength.

Pei Se had thought that the imperial decree from the Emperor of Daqian would force Prefect Yin Wuji to head to Anqing Prefecture.

That way, the matter of Guanhai County could be set aside for the time being, giving Lord Qinling more time to recover.

However, she never expected that Prefect Yin Wuji would defy the decree of the Emperor of Daqian just to go to Guanhai Prefecture.

Pei Se bit her lip, her eyes fixed intent on Prefect Yin Wuji's half-human, half-peng figure.

At this moment, Prefect Yin Wuji was already flapping his wings, preparing to take flight toward Guanhai County.

Just then, the hurried sound of galloping hooves echoed from the far end of the street.

A yamen bailiff dressed in grey tumbled off his horse and scrambled forward on all fours until he was in front of him, gasping out,

"Your Excellency! Guanhai County... Guanhai County is in trouble!"

Prefect Yin Wuji's spread wings froze as confusion registered on his face.

He hadn't even gone there yet.

How could something have happened to Guanhai County already?

The grey-clad bailiff swallowed hard, squeezing the words out of his throat.

"An evil entity! An evil entity has appeared in Guanhai County! It unleashed an Evil Domain and enveloped all of Guanhai County!"

"The entirety of Guanhai County, from the county seat down to the surrounding villages, is covered! No one can get in, and no one can get out!"

Inside and outside the prefecture gate, dead silence fell.

Qilianshan released his grip on the hilt of his saber.

His hand hung at his side, his fingertips turning slightly pale, and he let out a soft sigh.

If an evil entity had merely appeared in Guanhai County, there might still have been a turn for the better.

But if an evil entity had deployed an Evil Domain to shroud all of Guanhai County, then everything was already over.

An evil entity capable of deploying an Evil Domain likely possessed the strength of the Fifth Realm.

Faced with an evil entity of such power that could even deploy an Evil Domain, Lord Qinling—even if he truly were a deity—was as good as dead.

Not just Lord Qinling, but not a single living soul in all of Guanhai County would walk out alive.

Prefect Yin Wuji's wings slowly folded back, those sky-blotting giant wings retracting inch by inch back into his body.

His body transformed as well, shrinking from a towering ten feet down to eight feet, and his eagle-like face shifted back to a rugged human face with thick eyebrows and large eyes.

He stood there, bare-chested, revealing firm, toned muscles.

Having returned to his human form, Prefect Yin Wuji curled his lips into a smile.

"An Evil Domain."

He chewed on those two words, his tone brimming with delight.

An evil entity capable of deploying an Evil Domain likely had the power of the Fifth Realm.

In a place like Guanhai County, who could survive?

No one would leave alive.

Prefect Yin Wuji slid his hand out of his sleeve; the blackness on his fingernails had faded, returning to a normal skin tone.

He nodded with satisfaction, pulled his hand back into his sleeve, and brushed away non-existent dust from his cuff.

"I originally intended to make a trip myself to see which blind fool dared to touch my people, but now there is no need."

His grin widened further, exposing a row of stark white teeth.

"Since an evil entity deployed an Evil Domain and shrouded all of Guanhai County, no living soul inside can survive."

He turned around to face the imperial guards and eunuchs still kneeling on the ground, and to face the expressionless Qilianshan.

The corner of Prefect Yin Wuji's mouth twitched upward again.

His gaze swept across their faces as if looking at a swarm of ants.

"Guanhai County is destined to be a dead land."

"No matter who killed Huang Zu, no matter how capable that thing is, it will not survive. There is no need for me to go anymore."

He turned and walked toward the prefecture gate, flinging a remark over his shoulder without looking back.

"Prepare my sedan chair! I am going to Anqing Prefecture, right now!"

The grey-clad bailiff kneeling on the ground froze for a moment before kowtowing frantically.

"Yes! Yes! This lowly one will go prepare the sedan chair at once!"

He scrambled to his feet and ran off in a panic.

Pei Se stood among the ranks of the imperial guards, her helmet pulled down low to conceal her reddened eyes.

She bit her lip so hard it turned white.

Upon hearing that an evil entity had deployed an Evil Domain over Guanhai County, only one thought remained in her mind.

That deity named Lord Qinling would likely never be able to return to his peak.

And none of the villagers of Qin Family Village whom she had met would survive either.

To think that this time, Prefect of Zhenhai Prefecture Prefect Yin Wuji indeed did not go to Guanhai County in the end.

Yet all of this was only because an even more desperate Evil Domain had unfolded over Guanhai County.

Prefect Yin Wuji's figure vanished behind the prefecture gate.

The imperial guards scrambled up from the ground, while the eunuchs supported each other as they stood up.

The horses were led to the side, snorting and restlessly pawing at the dirt.

Pei Se stepped out from among the imperial guards.

She had removed her helmet and cradled it in her arms.

She walked over to Qilianshan, stopped in her tracks, looked up, and opened her mouth to ask:

"Vice President, is there any hope left for Guanhai County and Lord Qinling?"

Qilianshan looked at her.

He didn't speak; he merely shook his head slowly.

Seeing Qilianshan shake his head, Pei Se turned even paler.

Qilianshan looked down at Pei Se. He reached out his distinctively knuckled left hand and gently rested it atop her head.

"An Evil Domain cannot be broken by mortal force. Things inside cannot come out, and things outside cannot go in."

"By the time an Evil Domain dissipates, the people inside will already be gone."

Pei Se hung her head helplessly.

She recalled the golden light that burst forth from the temple in Qin Family Village, and the longsword that slew Huang Zu in a single strike.

She recalled the children picking up seashells by the sea, running along the sandy beach, and lining up at the temple entrance to offer incense.

She recalled the golden figure that stood protectively before her.

And now, there would likely never be a chance to see any of it ever again.

Just as Qilianshan said, an Evil Domain was deployed by an evil entity; as long as the evil entity did not die, the Evil Domain would not dissipate.

And evil entities were immortal and undying.

This had effectively pronounced a death sentence upon all of Guanhai County.