Pa!
The wine cup fell.
Jing Rui’s hand trembled.
Her greatest secret had been so easily exposed.
She was so frightened that her courage nearly collapsed.
She was directly under the Saintess, hidden in the Zhusheng Dynasty of the East Pole Province for many years.
Even her sectmates knew nothing of such a secret.
Only the Hehuan Banner Master within the sect could know so much in detail.
This little boy had already grown so powerful?
“Demon Sect!?”
Xiao Xinran’s face also turned pale with fear, her hand gripping her sword hilt in terror.
Jing Tan’er’s aunt was actually a member of the Demon Sect?
“Mister, why can’t I understand a single word you’re saying?”
Jing Rui forced a smile, trying to argue.
But Yun Liu’s next words mercilessly tore her lies apart.
“Still don’t understand? Then tell me where Min Hen is. By now, he should have already led the soldiers to surround Wuya Court, right?”
“You!”
This time, Jing Rui’s eyes filled with horror, her face turning white, as if those sharp eyes could see through her.
Did the other party really know every detail of their actions?
Her thoughts raced.
But she wasn’t a child who could be bluffed with just a few words.
She quickly calmed down.
So what if she was exposed?
Could the East Extreme Pavilion Master really go against the Holy Sect?
As long as she took care of Jing Tan’er and the other troublesome brats, the entire dynasty would still be under her control.
Once the matter was done, the Saintess would surely reward her greatly.
“Lord Pavilion Master, your methods are impressive. I admire you. Although I don’t know how you learned such a secret, how the Holy Sect acts should have nothing to do with Shanhai Pavilion, right?”
Madam Black Crow bowed gracefully, her wicked smile blooming as she no longer hid her true motives.
From the moment she boarded the bandit’s ship with Shenhua’s group, she had never intended to let anyone go.
If they surrendered to the Holy Sect, perhaps a path to survival would remain.
“It may have nothing to do with Shanhai Pavilion, but it concerns me personally.”
Yun Liu yawned.
He watched as all the seductive dancing girls and musicians withdrew, unable to hide his disappointment.
“Is Mister referring to Chi Jiu’s offense? As far as I know, it was just a misunderstanding. Besides, the one who hurt you was a Bloodthirsty Banner disciple, which has nothing to do with my Hehuan Banner! I admire you greatly, Mister, and wish I could serve beneath you every night, easing your troubles. How could I bear to harm such a handsome young gentleman?”
Jing Rui shrugged, feigning grievance, her silver mask’s true face revealed beyond doubt.
The Bloodthirsty Banner crippled cultivations.
The Hehuan Banner drained vital energy.
Their demonic methods were indeed different.
Who could have imagined that an unknown junior at the foot of Sea of Clouds Peaks Forest would one day become the future Shanhai Pavilion Master?
Yun Liu also laughed.
The Divine Radiance Five Peaks were a loose collection of sand, and it was no wonder the Demon Sect was full of internal strife.
Jing Rui probably wished the Bloodthirsty Banner would be suppressed by Shanhai Pavilion.
“Ptui! Shameless!”
Xiao Xinran’s face flushed red as she glared angrily.
Jing Rui sneered, and a mere wave of her long sleeve released a powerful spiritual aura, making the red-clad girl struggle to breathe.
She too was a deeply hidden demonic cultivator.
“Little girl, you don’t even know you’re at death’s door. Is it your turn to speak here?”
“Golden Core Demon Cultivator!?”
“The Xiao family is treacherous, Shenhua is blind, but our Eight Banners of the Holy Sect are different. The Saintess is wise and fair, and rewards merit. Why should you tire yourself over a bunch of hypocrites, Mister? Why not join us in ruling the East Pole and create a new dynasty together!”
Jing Rui had always intended to befriend the new generation East Extreme Pavilion Master, and didn’t want the youth meddling with the Golden Crow’s ambush.
Now, with everything laid bare, negotiation was simple.
“Little Yun, don’t listen to her nonsense! It’s not like that at all!”
Yun Liu ignored Xiao Xinran and simply smiled from the soft couch.
“So, you mean to turn a blind eye and try to buy me off?”
“Ugh, don’t put it so harshly. This is called cooperation! That foolish prince Wang will sooner or later destroy the Zhusheng Dynasty. Why not let someone else take over? But no matter who rules Yudu, only Shanhai Pavilion will endure through the ages.”
“If Mister Yun is willing to set aside past grievances and help me ascend, I will offer the Four Realms Spirit Boat routes with both hands, and can even request the Saintess to help you deal with the Bloodthirsty Banner Master to avenge past humiliation!”
Jing Rui’s terms were extremely tempting, and her negotiation skills impressive.
But Yun Liu didn’t even hesitate before shaking his head.
He only wanted to honestly lie in the future Empress’s arms and play.
He never intended to seize royal power.
Trying to tempt him with such empty promises was pointless!
“Sorry, I have a much better partner—one a thousand times better than you.”
“Sigh, this puts me in a difficult spot.”
Jing Rui’s smile gradually faded.
Since words wouldn’t work, she’d have to use force.
“There’s no need to hide it any longer. Jing Tan’er is already dead.”
At this moment, even someone as slow as Xiao Xinran realized that Senior Sister Qin was in danger.
She was filled with anxiety.
“You! You dare commit murder on the Golden Crow, aren’t you afraid of the king’s wrath when you reach Yudu?”
In the national lord Jing Yan’s heart, his fickle sister couldn’t compare to his beloved eldest daughter.
Unexpectedly, Jing Rui held her waist and laughed wildly, completely unrestrained and amused by Xiao Xinran.
“Afraid? This ship is full of my people. When we arrive, a new Princess will naturally return to the capital. My mission is only to ensure Jing Tan’er never returns. Miss Xiao, rather than worrying about others, you’d better care for yourself—the next one is you!”
Yun Liu’s expression grew grave, a sense of dread in his heart.
What did that mean?
Had the real little princess never returned to Yudu in the game?
Then who was the villainous noble girl appearing again and again in the questline?
If the real experience dummy had died since leaving Shenhua Sect, who was playing the role of Princess and causing trouble—so convincingly that even the national lord and the players hadn’t noticed?
This hidden Easter egg accidentally revealed by Jing Rui was too terrifying!
“Mr. Yun is a smart man. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have left the sect. You should know the fate of opposing the Holy Sect, shouldn’t you?”
Madam Black Crow spoke threateningly, hinting that the East Extreme Pavilion Master should recognize his neutral position and not act the righteous hero.
“That, I truly don’t know. Why don’t you… teach me?”
Yun Liu’s eyes turned cold.
As the final word left his lips, he vanished from his spot.
Almost instantly, a white-robed youth appeared before Jing Rui, close enough to embrace.
“Ugh!”
A torrent of fierce spiritual energy surged from Yun Liu’s body like a still pool awakening, too fast for Jing Rui to react.
A moment later, her abdomen twisted in agony.
Bang!
The black-clad woman flew backward, smashing through a screen.
Yun Liu’s punch sent her crashing into the inner chamber, showing no mercy.
Jing Rui collapsed to the ground in misery, her body aching and twisted.
She clutched her stomach, vomiting bitter liquid mixed with blood, feeling as if a beast had trampled her belly.
Xiao Xinran covered her mouth in shock, unable to believe that a Golden Core demon cultivator had been blasted away by Little Yun just like that.
Yun Liu only shook his head in disappointment and waved his hand.
After all, she was a Golden Core cultivator—one punch only left her lightly wounded.
Jing Rui stared at the ungrateful brat in fury and disbelief.
How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator possess such monstrous physical strength, nearly matching a body cultivator?
That punch almost made her infertile.
Wasn’t he supposed to be a sword cultivator!?