Chapter 363 - 354: Old Snow Courtyard

Chapter 363: Chapter 354: Old Snow Courtyard

The Mu Mansion servants delivered meals every day to the quiet room where Fu Juemin was in seclusion.

At first, one or two of the five daily meals would be partially eaten. Slowly, it got to the point where every meal sent in was brought back out completely untouched.

The servants delivering the meals could hear some stirring from inside the room at first, but later, there was only silence.

"KRAK—! BOOM!"

The specially reinforced door of the Organ Installation Chamber suddenly shattered, and a violent astral wind erupted from within, sending splinters of wood and stone flying everywhere.

The sudden explosion alerted the experts in the mansion, and they all rushed to the scene.

When they reached the entrance to the Organ Installation Chamber, they saw the room was filled with thick, swirling black smoke. Within the smoke, an abnormally tall and burly figure stood before a pale, nervous-looking young man with glasses. The figure spoke softly, "Mr. Gu, you have my respect. Thank you..."

With that, the figure strode out of the room.

He was bare-chested. Black, thumb-thick tentacles sprouted from his arms, armpits, and back, writhing like a nest of serpents.

An arrogant, violent, and powerful aura enveloped the courtyard. Through the smoky haze, they could vaguely make out his former features.

"A few of you... come test your strength against me."

The figure scanned the crowd below, his voice flat and filled with condescending indifference.

Several Martial Tributors in the courtyard exchanged glances before attacking in unison.

But within moments, the figure on the steps defeated them one by one, sending them flying backward, coughing up blood.

"Too weak..."

The figure sighed and shook his head as he slowly descended the steps.

After drawing blood, the viciousness radiating from him intensified. His every move began to exude an air of absolute, all-consuming arrogance.

Just then, Mu Feng strode swiftly into the courtyard.

His expression grim, he scanned the surroundings before his gaze locked onto the terrifying, seemingly unstoppable figure before him.

"Hong Huan!"

"What is it?"

The figure, Hong Huan, barely lifted his eyelids, his tone devoid of any respect.

Mu Feng sneered and said coolly, "Before the Spirit Lord entered seclusion, he ordered that you must go to the rear garden once you completed your three organ installations."

At the mention of the Spirit Lord, the wild arrogance radiating from Hong Huan faltered for a moment.

After a long moment, he nodded. "Fine."

Ten minutes later, Hong Huan emerged from the Mu Mansion’s rear garden.

His eyes were now downcast, every trace of his previous arrogance and ferocity gone, replaced by an inexpressible meekness and obedience.

He asked Mu Feng with the utmost respect, "If I may ask the Patriarch, where is the Spirit Lord in seclusion? I wish to stand guard outside his door."

As if he had expected this all along, Mu Feng offered no answer, simply sneering as he flicked his sleeve and departed.

....

「Yingjing City Main Street.」

The sounds of chaos and screaming had only just faded. With the panicked crowds cleared away, the long street was now a scene of utter ruin, as if ravaged by a storm.

The ground was mottled with dark red stains, the gruesome remains of crushed flesh and blood.

Brightly colored, thumb-sized Human Pills were scattered across the ground like worthless beans. Nearby, dozens of plainly dressed, terrified girls were being herded into a large, custom-made iron cage.

Not far from the cage, the girls, and the Human Pills, a Demon Monster Giant Bird with ash-cyan feathers and eyes like golden lamps was pinned to the ground beneath dozens of layered black nets.

The nets were specially woven from Demon Tendons, making them ten times tougher than steel cables. Surrounding the nets, over a hundred powerfully built Martial Artist Warriors worked together, struggling to drive bowl-sized iron rods through the mesh and into the ground.

Something had gone wrong during the Wuchen Grand Sacrifice. The Earth Palace had erupted into chaos, and many Demon Officials had seized the opportunity to escape.

By using Human Pills and blood as bait, they had managed to recapture many of the escapees. A few stubborn ones, however, refused to be caged again.

The Cyan Banner Lord of the Lower Five Banners stood to one side, wringing his hands as he watched the scene unfold. He prayed that his own Demon Lord would be obedient and willingly enter the cage.

His hopes were dashed. The Demon Bird in the net suddenly let out a shriek that tore through the air like rending metal. Spreading its guillotine-like wings, it sliced through the layers of netting as if they were paper.

With another flap of its wings, a demonic gale erupted down the street. The terrifying astral wind tore up the bluestone pavement as if it were tofu, sending slabs exploding outward.

Amid cries of alarm, the Demon Bird staggered into the air, still tangled in the nets. The iron posts were ripped from the ground, and several Martial Artist Warriors were violently yanked into the sky.

Just as the capture seemed doomed to fail, the Cyan Banner Lord whipped his head around and cried out, "Young Master Wei!"

Before the words were even out of his mouth, a calm voice replied, "Do not be alarmed."

A handsome, almost effeminate-looking young man slowly walked forward. He wore a purple, cloud-patterned robe and mandarin jacket.

The man held out a hand and clapped casually.

The next second, "rain" began to fall from the sky.

The drizzling rain, which carried a strong and peculiar gamy stench, fell from the sky, landing mostly on the rising Demon Bird.

Drenched by the rain, the bird shrieked as if startled, its upward momentum coming to an abrupt halt.

At the same time, "snow" began to fall.

The flakes drifted down like goose feathers, carrying with them an indescribable chill.

The sudden stillness hushed the Demon Bird’s struggling shrieks. Many people reached out instinctively, but the snowflakes vanished upon touching their palms, leaving behind only a faint, needle-prick of cold.

As the snow fell, the air directly above the Demon Bird seemed to thicken and coalesce, slowly revealing the image of a desolate, ancient imperial court from a bygone dynasty.

Rows of palace halls with upturned eaves and interlocking brackets stood silent, their vermilion lacquer peeling... one could almost hear the faint chiming of copper bells on the corners of the roofs, swaying in the wind.

A figure materialized within the vision.

The figure was tall and thin, its body shrouded in flowing, veil-like gray smoke. Atop its neck sat an enormous deer head.

Its twelve-pointed antlers resembled two ancient, inverted trees, and its golden deer eyes cast a calm and indifferent gaze.

The deer-headed figure descended from the sky, and the vision of the "Great Snow Courtyard" behind it slowly pressed downward as well.

The figure landed lightly on the netted Demon Bird’s back, as if bringing the full weight of the Old Snow Courtyard down with it. A loud CREAK came from the Demon Bird’s spine as its already panicked body was forced, inch by inch, back to the ground....

After a great deal of pulling and struggling, the golden-eyed Demon Bird was finally forced into the cage.

Hearing the desperate, terrified screams of the girls inside the cage, the Cyan Banner Lord breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He then turned to the purple-robed youth at his side, his face filled with gratitude. "If not for Young Master Wei, I truly don’t know what I would have done..."

"Rest assured, Young Master Wei. You have been commanded to take charge of the Lower Five Banners, and my Gu Clan of the Cyan Banner will be the first to support you!"

The purple-robed youth waved a dismissive hand. After a moment’s thought, he said, "I hear that in Patriarch Gu’s mansion, there is a painted enamel music box, a gift from Westerners of a past era to Emperor Qian..."

The Cyan Banner Lord understood immediately. "I will have the music box delivered to your residence today, Young Master Wei," he said hurriedly.

The youth shook his head. "Don’t send it to my residence. Send it directly to Panxiang Pavilion."

"Understood."

The Cyan Banner Lord’s face showed his understanding. "Send it to Princess Panxiang, and say it is a token of Young Master Wei’s Heart Intent."

The youth nodded, looking pleased.

....

「Days passed.」

After the Wuchen Grand Competition, the turmoil caused by the Banner-cutting Alliance and the Demon Officials gradually subsided, but the aftershocks of these events continued to ripple outward.

Dark undercurrents surged between the Top Four Banners and the Lower Five Banners, the situation shifting with each passing day.

The eighth day of the fifth month. The spring rains had just passed.

The rain-washed sky looked exceptionally clear and bright, as if even the persistent demonic fog had thinned.

At the South Gate of Yingjing City, a crowd of people going in and out of the city had gathered around an open space. In the center, a dozen or so figures in tattered, bloodstained clothes knelt on the ground, their hands and feet bound.

"Demon Capital Banner Dogs! I’ll fuck your ancestors—"

"SLICE!"

Before the man could finish speaking, a gleaming steel blade fell.

In an instant, a dozen heads rolled to the ground. Blood sprayed more than ten feet, and some of the closer onlookers were unable to dodge in time, getting splattered across their bodies and faces.

Yet they showed no fear. Instead, their eyes gleamed as they pulled steamed buns, flatbreads, and strips of cloth from their robes, eagerly rushing forward to soak them in the fresh, warm blood.