Xiao Zhe, who weighed well over two hundred pounds, felt as light as a feather in Yin Yang’s hands.
But if someone capable of seeing spirits had been present, they would have noticed that Yin Yang wasn't the only one lifting him.
“Heh... heh...”
On the other side, Xiao Yue’s mouth hung open, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word. Only meaningless, choked sounds escaped his throat.
Yin Yang helped Xiao Zhe to a spot where the crowd was thinner. The lantern-carrying ghost’s form materialized, shielding Xiao Zhe beneath its umbrella.
“Yin... Yin Yang, aren't you going to stay with your little sweetheart?”
Xiao Zhe forced a weak smile, trying to prove to Yin Yang that he was fine and there was no need to worry.
Yin Yang didn't respond. Instead, he pressed his right hand against Xiao Zhe’s wounds several times in quick succession.
A wave of numbness washed over the injuries, dulling the pain. Then, he heard Yin Yang speak.
“I’m leaving.”
“Huh?”
Xiao Zhe looked up, confused. Yin Yang offered him a bright smile.
“I’ve relied on your care for the past two years. Before I go, let me take care of this trouble for you.”
As he spoke, Yin Yang stood up and turned toward Xiao Yue.
Xiao Yue seemed to sense something, but before he could even beg for mercy, a thin red line appeared across his neck.
The mountain breeze blew gently, and his head slowly slid off his shoulders. His headless neck erupted like a fountain, spraying blood into the air.
The surrounding crowd froze for a heartbeat before their panic intensified.
“You... you’re a transcendent too?”
Xiao Zhe stared at Yin Yang, his mind in a daze.
Yin Yang didn't answer. Instead, he pulled out another ginkgo leaf and tucked it into Xiao Zhe’s pocket.
“Keep this safe. It’s your proof.”
Seeing a murder take place, the nearby security officers turned their guns toward Yin Yang, just as they had toward the earlier killer.
But before they could shout a warning, several of them clutched their stomachs and collapsed to the ground in agony.
Almost simultaneously, the people being evacuated began to fall like wheat before a scythe.
They all clutched their midsections, where visible bulges writhed rapidly under the skin, looking as if venomous snakes were trying to burrow their way out from inside them!
“What are these things?!”
“Help! Save me!”
The victims thrashed wildly, but it wasn't long before blood began to spray from their mouths and noses, stealing their ability to scream.
Splat!
Splat!
Flesh tentacles burst from their abdomens, squeezing and spraying internal organs and blood until the ground was stained a garish mosaic of colors.
The foul stench of viscera filled the air, causing even Yin Yang to frown.
“Hahahaha!”
“The ritual has begun!”
A shrill woman’s laughter rang out from the sky.
Without a second thought, Yin Yang lunged toward Xiao Zhe.
At the same moment, the blade-wielding ghost’s form flickered into existence, firmly guarding Yin Yang’s back.
Gurgle, gurgle...
The blood and organs on the ground began to boil. The flesh tentacles lashed out at the people who were still standing, attempting to burrow into their mouths and nostrils.
Several tentacles near Xiao Zhe reared up like cobras and lunged forward.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The tentacles exploded three meters away from Xiao Zhe.
However, amidst the total chaos, no one noticed the phenomenon.
...
Outside the observation deck, Lord Mei’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
“Sequence 6?”
His voice was uncertain, for a Sequence 6 was a powerhouse in the truest sense!
They were high-ranking enough to serve as elders in major churches, or even as the presiding abbots of smaller temples and shrines.
The Shadow Lotus Church had actually deployed someone of this caliber!
For the first time, Lord Mei felt a genuine surge of terror.
He instinctively looked back at the cluster of mist.
‘The minister’s daughter must have experts by her side! Whether we live or die today likely depends on her!’
Beside him, Zhou Yu took a deep breath and rested his hand on the hilt of his waist saber. His voice was low and grim.
“To repay the favor of the Golden Terrace, I shall carry my jade-dragon blade and die for my lord!”
“Lord Mei, if it weren't for you, I would be nothing more than a driver even now.”
“No matter what happens next, please make your escape, sir. Leave the rear to me!”
Lord Mei was moved by these words.
“Zhou Yu, you...”
“Say no more, sir! We cannot rely on outsiders at a time like this!”
Lord Mei sighed, but ultimately remained silent.
Screams of agony echoed across the entirety of Jiuqing Mountain.
Seeing that they could no longer protect the civilians, the Mei family’s Ward Guards and Executioners gathered around Lord Mei to form a defensive circle. They didn't realize that this only made him a more conspicuous target.
The Sequence 6 figure in the sky seemed to ignore everything below. Clad in a black feathered robe and a lotus crown, she danced gracefully under the moonlight.
The dance was exquisitely beautiful, leaving the onlookers in a daze.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sudden sound of drums snapped them back to their senses.
The expressions of Lord Mei and Zhou Yu changed drastically!
Both were Sequence 7 transcendents, yet in a life-or-death situation, they had actually been 'distracted' by a dance?
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The drumming grew louder and more rhythmic, as if providing the musical accompaniment for the celestial dance.
Only then did Lord Mei notice that the bloody tentacles on the ground had merged into humanoid shapes. These tentacles gripped human leg bones to use as drumsticks.
As for the drums themselves, they were fashioned from human ribs and skin!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The drumbeats grew faster and more frantic, and the woman’s dance in the sky accelerated in tandem.
Lord Mei felt his head spin.
The moon-viewing event he had meticulously prepared had turned into a sacrificial ground for the Shadow Lotus Church!
As the woman danced and the drums beat, the mangled corpses, organs, and blood on the ground began to crawl slowly.
“My Lord, if we don’t leave now, it will be too late!” Zhou Yu whispered, standing in front of Lord Mei.
Lord Mei glanced back at the mist on the observation deck.
“Fleeing now will only make us stand out more. The minister’s daughter must have an expert with her.”
“The mist is a barrier that even you and I cannot penetrate. The one who set it up must be at least Sequence 6. That is our only chance of survival!”
Zhou Yu fell silent and tightened his grip on his saber.
Lord Mei narrowed his eyes and retreated back into the edge of the mist. He didn't venture deep inside, but stood there and called out.
“The Shadow Lotus Church is causing havoc! I beg the young lady to intervene!”
He paused for several seconds after shouting. When there was no response, he spoke again.
“The Shadow Lotus Church is causing havoc! I beg the young lady to intervene!”
“I beg the young lady to intervene!”
He repeated the plea three times before a voice finally drifted out from the mist.
“Lord Mei, my lady came here simply for a stroll, only to encounter such a mess.”
“As the administrator of Wangduan City, you seek my lady’s help instead of resolving the trouble yourself?”
Lord Mei’s heart hammered against his ribs, but he steeled himself and spoke.
“The Shadow Lotus Church is behind this; they are shouting about the birth of a Holy Son. Thousands have already died.”
“If they succeed, there’s no telling how many more will perish!”
“For the sake of the lives of these innocent people, I beg the young lady to intervene!”
“Hmph!”
A cold snort came from the mist, making Lord Mei’s heart jump.
He knew he had botched this entire affair. The minister’s daughter had come to view the moon, only to be caught in a cultist uprising!
His previous accomplishments had now become a stain on his record.
But that was exactly why he had chosen to ask for her help!
Since his reputation was already ruined and his future path to promotion was likely severed, his priority now was survival!
After all, that Sequence 6 figure in the sky was still dancing.
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