Volume 9, Chapter 589 – Just a Flock of Little Lambs (Part 1)

“Kill me?”

Cheng Hongling’s face grew a few degrees colder at those words.

Qi Huang was just as baffled. What did she and her main body married into the Lü clan have to do with whether this “Xue Jing” became Lü Yi’s concubine? Why would the other side be moved to kill over it?

“Many thanks, Father Emperor!”

On the other side, “Xue Jing” thanked her father. With that, the father and daughter ended their exchange.

“Little Ling, who was that old man in the Thousand-Mile Communication Tube? Why did he want to kill you?”

Jiang Linian asked excitedly.

“Who knows? My guess is he has a death wish.”

Cheng Hongling answered, eyes sharp.

“I think we need to get to the bottom of this. Xue Jing’s identity couldn’t be clearer, she’s definitely one of Lü Yi’s hundreds of concubines-to-be who haven’t entered the household yet. But why did she come to Honghua Sect to target us? Whether she becomes a concubine isn’t for us to decide.”

Qi Huang tried to ease the mood.

“You’re quite merciful, aren’t you!”

A cool, meaningful smile curved Cheng Hongling’s lips.

“It’s not mercy. Killing her would only treat the symptoms, not the cause. Who knows what backing she has?”

Qi Huang explained, her gaze flickering evasively.

“I also think we should be lenient where we can. If there’s a misunderstanding, clear it up. Why must it come to killing?”

Jiang Linian chimed in.

Cheng Hongling straightened and asked, “Then how do you plan to investigate? Ask directly?”

Rеaԁ oո KatRеаdiոɡCαfе

“Not impossible, but for now I still need to observe those other women a bit longer. I suspect they share the same identity and goal. If that’s true, we’ll call them together and make everything plain; it’ll save trouble.”

Qi Huang laid out her plan, eyes still evasive, afraid the main body would misunderstand her as staying her hand out of lust.

Cheng Hongling didn’t respond, which counted as tacit approval.

“Ugh, the Lü clan really is a jinx, bringing us so much trouble out of nowhere!”

Jiang Linian couldn’t help cursing.

“Not necessarily trouble. We don’t want to marry into the Lü clan; neither do they. We might even become allies.”

Qi Huang hastened to soothe her.

A thoughtful look touched Cheng Hongling’s pretty face—there was, after all, some sense in that.

In the days that followed, whenever she had time, Qi Huang kept watch on those other suspicious women, hoping to ascertain their purpose as soon as possible.

At this moment, the former dynasty’s zombie Crown Prince, Jiang Feng, was drawing closer to the center. In life, he’d wanted to probe the source of the Yin Energy here; after holding back until now, he finally couldn’t suppress the impulse.

To get a clear read on things, Jiang Feng didn’t go at full speed. He strolled like an ordinary man, observing as he walked. Even so, the golden corpse-spots mottling his body advertised his strength well enough that no malignant ghosts dared approach.

Pingshan Mass Burial Ground had long been corroded by Yin Energy. Everywhere the eye fell was rot. Never mind vegetation, there wasn’t even a single large stone to be seen; everything had weathered into ash and scattered across the ground.

As he walked, Jiang Feng suddenly halted. Not far away, a zombie that looked like a wolf was frenziedly devouring a cluster of low-level ghosts.

Studying it closely, Jiang Feng realized this was no ordinary wolf zombie. The thing had two pairs of ears, and its frame was burly, like a calf.

Reаd оո ΚαtRеaⅾinɡСafе

“A four-eared wolf,” he murmured.

He quickly recognized the creature’s identity.

Four-eared wolves had once been a widely distributed kind of wolf in the cultivation world. Broad of frame and terrifying in battle, and blessed with two pairs of ears that gave them hearing far superior to ordinary dogs, they were gradually domesticated as house-guarding beasts.

But a wolf was still a wolf. However mild its temper, it was a wild animal. Many people flipped their carts in the process of taming them. For example, the Immortal Alliance leader’s granddaughter, while forcing a four-eared wolf into submission, had two fingers bitten clean off.

The Immortal Alliance leader flew into a rage and ordered all countries to help him slaughter every four-eared wolf in the cultivation world. Tamed or wild, not a single one was to remain.

After several centuries of ruthless slaughter, the four-eared wolves disappeared from the cultivation world entirely.

Jiang Feng had read about them in books. He’d never expected to see a zombie of that species here.

Watching with interest, he saw the four-eared wolf zombie acting with little sign of intelligence. After devouring a few low-level ghosts, it charged at him.

Jiang Feng frowned slightly and casually kicked it flying.

The four-eared wolf zombie let out a wail, then tucked its tail and scurried into the Yin Energy ahead.

Jiang Feng couldn’t help but chuckle and resumed walking. But as soon as he took a step, a fierce gust slammed into his face. A figure flashed in front of him at high speed, a massive fist tearing the air and sending out an ear-splitting shriek.

“Hmm?”

Jiang Feng hadn’t expected such speed. Caught off guard, he gathered his strength in haste and slammed a fist forward.

BOOM…

The two figures smashed fists without any flourish. The ground beneath them seemed struck by a meteor; dust geysered skyward, and a terrifying shockwave swept in all directions.

Jiang Feng’s expression changed as he staggered back two steps, while the towering figure stood his ground, immovable.

“When you beat a dog, you must mind its owner. Understand?”

Hands clasped behind his back, the burly figure stepped forward into Jiang Feng’s clear view.

Rеαⅾ οn ΚαtRеаdіոɡСαfe

He was a tall zombie with a mane of matted hair. A hint of blood-red glinted in his eyes. His clothes were in rags, and slabs of rippling muscle gleamed with a metallic sheen, cords of veins bulging, fearsome to behold. Most unsettling of all, golden corpse-spots mottled his skin in patches large and small. He, too, was plainly a golden zombie.

“I truly didn’t expect another shade here with strength comparable to mine.”

Jiang Feng spoke unhurriedly. Judging by the depth of the other’s corpse-spots, the most he could be was a mid-stage golden zombie, the same as Jiang Feng. He’d only lost the exchange because he’d been unprepared.

“Heh. There are far too many things you don’t expect.”

The burly zombie sneered, then asked, “You’re the former dynasty’s Crown Prince Jiang Feng, aren’t you?”

“You know me?”

Jiang Feng was a little surprised.

“Of course I do. From the moment you entered Pingshan Mass Burial Ground, to being killed by a mole and waking as a zombie, I saw it all.”

A teasing look played over the golden corpse’s face.

“Is that so? Then can you tell me who the mole was?”

Jiang Feng probed.

“Why would I tell you? You came here to wipe out the source of the Yin Energy; that mole did us a big favor.”

The burly golden corpse toyed with him.

“What’s your relationship to the source of that Yin Energy?”

Jiang Feng tested again.

“Do you think I’d tell you?”

The hulking zombie gave a cold laugh.

Rеаⅾ οո ΚаtRеaԁiոgCаfе

“I’m a zombie now, too. You don’t need to keep your guard so high.”

Jiang Feng tried to persuade him.

“So what? Don’t humans slaughter one another all the same? Get lost. The territory ahead isn’t a place you can set foot.”

The burly zombie issued his eviction order.

“And if I don’t?”

Jiang Feng’s eyes narrowed, his features taking on an even more wicked cast.

“You don’t actually think I’m the only golden corpse in the central zone, do you? If you don’t believe me, go ahead and try. I guarantee it’ll be the last time you die.”

A needle-point threat met a knife-edge stare.

Jiang Feng pondered for a moment, then sensibly withdrew. On the way back, his mood was heavy. Pingshan Mass Burial Ground was far more terrifying than he’d imagined, no wonder it spread so fast.

‘Beloved Hongling, ah, Beloved Hongling! You poured your whole heart into protecting the people of Huangtian County. Now it seems that was a fool’s dream.’

Back at Honghua Sect, after more than half a month of watching, Qi Huang had also uncovered the backgrounds of those other women. As she’d suspected, every one of them was an unwed concubine-to-be of Lü Yi’s. They were here for the same reason as “Xue Jing”: none of them wanted to marry into the Lü clan and were trying to sound out her intentions.

Qi Huang had no patience to keep tangling with them. She sent invitations one by one, asking them to visit, intending to lay things out frankly and settle the matter at once.

Those women were caught off guard, but since Fairy Hongling had invited them, they couldn’t, like thieves flee in a guilty panic, so they could only grit their teeth and come to the door.

Watching the ten-odd beauties in the courtyard, each with her own distinct air, the corners of Qi Huang’s lips lifted. Like a wolf laying eyes on a flock of little lambs.