Chapter 337: Imperial Sect, The Final Curtain Opens
At dusk, the soft slanting sun shone on the streets of Tianan City to the east. Countless scholars and beauties in bright clothing walked back and forth on the pedestrian street.
Si Xuanji was currently standing on her tiptoes, peeking over a small stall selling sugar paintings. Her Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes stared at the sugar spoon in the stall owner’s hand as it moved back and forth. In a moment, the sugar water drew a crescent moon on the cutting board below.
“Little girl, here’s your crescent moon.”
“Thank you.”
Si Xuanji reached out, took the bamboo skewer handed over by the stall owner, left a Spirit Stone, and then contentedly put a corner of the crescent moon into her mouth. She squinted and smiled like a ten-year-old young girl.
Just as she was sweetly licking the sugar painting, a loud noise suddenly came from behind her.
Boom—
She didn’t notice, and her teeth directly bit off the already brittle sugar painting. Si Xuanji pouted. She had originally planned to lick it slowly, and was suddenly a little annoyed. She turned her head to look in the direction of the loud noise.
Smoke and dust billowed at the end of the street, making it impossible to see what was happening inside. However, the clanging of swords could be heard, and slight sparks flickered within.
Clink, clink—
Clang—
Si Xuanji’s Yin-yang heteromorphic eyes darted left and right, then she stepped out with her bare feet, walked to the center of the street, measured the distance to the left and right, and then took out a Bamboo Hat she had bought on the street from her Storage Bag and put it on her head.
And in the next instant, with a dull sound.
Dong—
A woman in red flew out backward from the smoke and dust, drawing a parabola in the air, and then bounced several times on the brick ground like skipping stones before finally stopping steadily at Si Xuanji’s feet.
“Cough—”
Hong Yu violently spat out a mouthful of blood. She immediately wanted to get up, but noticed the young girl wearing a bamboo hat standing in front of her head and was stunned.
But the next moment, the Imperial Guards chasing her, holding iron spears, instantly appeared before her. The Imperial Guard, who was at the Core Formation Stage, had killing intent erupting from his eyes. Seeing Si Xuanji, who was now with Hong Yu, he showed no intention of retracting his spear, as if preparing to kill both Hong Yu and Si Xuanji.
Clang—!
The spear wind pushed aside a wave of air, like a dragon breaking through the dawn, piercing towards Hong Yu’s glabella. Hong Yu’s eyes widened. She had originally thought that these Imperial Guards would consider the pedestrians on the street, so after escaping through the secret passage, she had immediately gone to a crowded street, intending to use the pedestrians as shields. The Imperial Guards of the Imperial Sect would not harm innocent people, right?
But seeing this spear, she understood. These people didn’t care if there were any unrelated people present. Anyone who blocked their spears would be punished with death. Hong Yu immediately raised the saber she carried in her right hand in an attempt to block.
However, in the next moment—
Ding—
The sound of metal striking echoed. Si Xuanji directly used the half-finished sugar painting in her hand to stop the tempered steel spear in the Imperial Guard’s hand just before Hong Yu’s glabella.
Hong Yu’s eyes widened, and she slowly looked up along the slender arm holding the sugar painting: “You are…”
Si Xuanji stood in the shadow of the backlight, so Hong Yu couldn’t see her face. She only heard her say: “Xuanji, the chivalrous hero, who draws her sword when she sees injustice.”
? Hong Yu was a bit confused, but upon hearing the name “Xuanji,” she immediately realized she was Young Master Xiao’s sister. She immediately rolled up and prepared to join her in blocking the pursuing Imperial Guard.
“Young Master Xuanji, quickly go tell Young Master Ye that the plan has been exposed. This Imperial Guard is at the Core Formation Stage, I’ll hold him off…” At that time, she saw that Si Xuanji’s cultivation was only at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage, and she naturally assumed that Si Xuanji had used some magical treasure to block that blow. She didn’t pay much attention and hurriedly prepared to send Si Xuanji to deliver the message, while she stayed to block the pursuing Imperial Guard.
But before she could finish speaking, Si Xuanji slightly pushed down her bamboo hat with her left hand and said in a very oily tone: “Go find Young Master Ye and the others. Leave the rest to me, Xuanji the great hero.”
“Ah…”
The sugar painting in Si Xuanji’s hand hooked slightly, and then swept forward. A crescent arc, like moonlight, shot forward. The Imperial Guard saw this and immediately lay his spear horizontally, standing in front of him to block. But after the spear and the arc collided, he felt a force like a thousand pounds.
Boom—
Along with the hundred-pound iron armor on his body, the Imperial Guard carved a ravine dozens of feet long in the middle of the street. Hong Yu stared in stunned silence, but seeing Si Xuanji so easily repel the Imperial Guard at the Core Formation Stage, she quickly came to her senses. She cupped her hands in a salute, turned her head, and continued to run rapidly along the street towards the West District.
Just as she left, three or four Imperial Guards also rushed out from the smoke from before. They saw the little girl blocking their path, who wasn’t even as tall as their chests, holding a sugar painting. They then glanced at their colleague lying on the ground, possibly dead or alive, with confusion in their eyes.
Si Xuanji swung the sugar painting in her hand to the side, then covered her head with the bamboo hat and walked towards them: “Great hero Xuanji hates it when people bully defenseless girls with their high cultivation. Today, I will act on behalf of heaven! You gentlemen, be careful!”
…
Hong Yu glanced back at Si Xuanji, who was alone blocking several cultivators at the Core Formation Stage. Although she felt a pang of concern, she didn’t stop. She walked rapidly along the street. After about fifteen minutes, she arrived at the Flowing Moon Inn where Ye Anping was staying. Seeing that the inn’s doors and windows were tightly shut, she couldn’t bother with formalities and immediately went up to knock.
*Pat, pat, pat—*
“Young Master Ye!!! It’s Hong Yu!!”
As soon as she spoke, hurried footsteps echoed from inside the inn. Ye Anping inside the inn quickly removed the door panels. Seeing Hong Yu covered in wounds, his brows furrowed. Without much thought, he immediately helped Hong Yu up and pulled her into the inn’s first floor.
The room was tightly sealed with doors and windows closed. The first floor seemed to have been rearranged, with a map of Tianan City hung up, marked with ink above. Liang Zhu, Pei Lianxue, Feng Yu Die, Xiao Yunluo, and the Immortal Thief were gathered around one side of the wooden table, as if Ye Anping had just been detailing the plan to everyone.
Seeing Ye Anping help the wounded Hong Yu in, Liang Zhu immediately gave a look to the Immortal Thief beside him and said, “Miss Ye, go take a look outside.”
“I know.” Ye Wan’er naturally understood. Her figure flickered and she disappeared from among the crowd, going outside to keep watch. Pei Lianxue picked up the Spirit Sword placed aside and asked, “Senior Brother, did something happen?”
“No rush…” Ye Anping’s expression was calm. He cleared things off the table, laid Hong Yu flat on the table, took out Pills from his Storage Bag, and began to treat her wounds.
“Miss Hong Yu, did something happen in the Imperial Palace?”
“Young Master Ye, the Empress’s exchange of the city guard was discovered by the Central Domain Emperor. All the servants in Changle Palace were killed by the Imperial Guards led by Eunuch Qi… I am the only one who escaped.”
Hearing this, Liang Zhu’s eyes widened, and worry appeared on his face. He immediately stepped forward and asked, “Where is the Empress?”
Ye Anping glanced at him and immediately comforted him, “Brother Liang, don’t worry. nothing will happen to the Empress. Although Qi Wuji is cruel and ruthless, he doesn’t have the guts to lay a hand on the Empress.”
“But…” Hong Yu paused for a moment and continued, “The Queen went to Tianhe Hall, and… and Young Master Xuanji. She just helped me block the Imperial Guards chasing me. Young Master Ye, please go save her quickly… several Imperial Guards have surrounded her.”
Hearing this, Ye Anping was somewhat speechless. Since Si Xuanji had made a move, it meant she was tired of shopping and also that the Demon Emperor had likely already arrived outside Tianan City. Originally, the Demon Emperor was supposed to lead the Demon Race to surround the city, but now it seemed that due to his actions towards the Immortal Thief and Gu Mingxin, the plot had advanced ahead of schedule. However, even though the development was different, it hadn’t exceeded his expectations too much. It was still within his control, and he only needed to come up with a few backup plans.
Ye Anping cupped his chin, lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, and looked at Xiao Yunluo: “Senior Sister Xiao, go meet your sister.”
“Ah…” Xiao Yunluo paused and said, “She can handle it… don’t worry about her.”
“After all, she’s your sister, you should go check on her. Afterwards, wait for me at the main gate of the Imperial Palace.” Ye Anping said lightly, then turned to Feng Yu Die and said, “Senior Sister Feng, you will go with me and my Junior Sister to Xing Tian Division to help Deputy Commander Yue escape. With the Empress captured, he has likely been exposed too. We must protect him, as the formation of Tianan City relies on him to break.”
“Understood!” “Okay!”
“Finally, Brother Liang, you take Miss Ye to the West City Gate first and find a way to open the West City Gate. I estimate that the Demon Emperor has already arrived and is probably drinking tea at a tea stall outside the city gate. Please invite him into the city.”
“Drinking tea?”
“He likes to drink tea.”
After reassigning the tasks, Ye Anping clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention to himself, took a deep breath, and said, “Success or failure hinges on this. Although it’s a little earlier than I expected, the Imperial Sect will come to an end within today. Do you all understand?”
Pei Lianxue stepped forward, chest held high, and shouted by way of example: “Understood!!!”
…
