The Turmoil at Wangjiang Tower

At three quarters past the hour of You (5:45 PM), the city of Tonghai was lit up with lanterns.

The Wangjiang Tower stands overlooking the river, its three-story eaves clearly outlined in the twilight. Tonight, the entire third floor is brightly lit, yet there is no sound of music; only a faint, somber atmosphere drifts in the river breeze.

Li Xian stood by the inn window, looking at the small pine tree in the purple clay pot in his arms. The tender buds glowed faintly green in the dim light, like fireflies in the night.

"Are you really going?" Miss Chunmeng's voice came from behind.

She had changed into a dark red long dress embroidered with gold patterns, and her face was lightly powdered, but the dark circles under her eyes and the pale color of her lips could not conceal the traces of the Gu poison's corrosive effects. Under the sleeve of her left arm, black lines had spread to her elbow, and each time she circulated her internal energy, the spread accelerated.

"Even if Chu Huaizhou's banquet is a trap, I have to go." Li Xian carefully placed the small pine tree on the table. "He wants to test my strength, and I also want to take advantage of his influence."

Peng Shitao was checking the medicine pouch, counting the silver needles, medicine bottles, and bandages one by one. She looked up, her childish face full of seriousness: "Brother Li, don't worry, as long as you have a breath left, I can save you."

She spoke with great bravado, but the slight tremor in her voice betrayed her—after all, it was her first time stepping into such a dangerous place.

A faint flapping sound came from outside the window.

Superman slid in through the window crack and hovered in front of Li Xian: "Boss, the area within a hundred feet of Wangjiang Tower has been scanned. There are currently twenty-seven people on the third floor, including five at the Heavenly Origin Realm, twelve at the Earthly Origin Realm, and the remaining ten with weak auras, seemingly without martial arts skills."

"Which ones are at the Heavenly Origin Realm?"

"The bearded general next to Chu Huaizhou in the main seat has the highest energy reading, which should be at the mid-stage of the Heavenly Origin realm. He is presumably Qin Xiao, the Right General of the Azure Eagle Guard. The three elders on the east side are two at the early stage of the Heavenly Origin realm and one at the high stage of the Earthly Origin realm. The three women in white at the table in the west corner are led by Bing Wei, who is at the early stage of the Heavenly Origin realm."

Upon hearing this name, Li Xian's fingers tightened almost imperceptibly.

Miss Chunmeng noticed his reaction and said calmly, "You don't need to feel guilty about what happened that night. I know Linghan Palace's methods better than you do."

Even so, a hint of sadness still flashed in her eyes.

Li Xian shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore. He looked at the drone: "Batman will stay at the inn to monitor the entire city. Superman, the Dark Knight, Daya, and Erya will accompany him, hiding around Wangjiang Tower, waiting for my signal."

"receive."

"Also," Li paused, "if the situation gets out of control...prioritize protecting Shi Tao and Madam Meng's evacuation."

Before Miss Chunmeng could say anything, Li Xian turned around and said, "Let's go, don't keep Lord Chu waiting."

On the third floor of Wangjiang Tower, eight rosewood wooden tables are arranged in a fan shape.

As Li Xian stepped into the banquet hall, twenty-seven pairs of eyes turned to him simultaneously. Some were scrutinizing, some curious, some hostile, and there was also a complex glance from Bing Wei's table—she wasn't wearing a veil today, and her beautiful face appeared even paler in the candlelight. The moment their eyes met, her eyelashes trembled slightly, and she lowered her gaze.

Chu Huaizhou rose to greet them, his moon-white brocade robe accentuating his refined and gentle demeanor: "Young Master Li, Madam Meng, Miss Peng, please take a seat."

The seat was arranged to the lower right of Chu Huaizhou, next to Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao was around fifty years old, with a square face and thick, sword-like eyebrows. He only nodded slightly. His gaze was like lightning, lingering on Li Xian for three breaths. He could tell that the other man's meridians were broken and his internal energy was completely gone. But Chu Huaizhou valued this person so much, there must be a reason.

"General Qin," Li Xian said, bowing.

"Young Master Li," Qin Xiao's voice was deep and resonant, like the beating of a drum, "I've heard that you are skilled in esoteric arts, using sound waves to repel the Black Feather Guards and save Lord Chu from danger. May I ask which school you studied under?"

The opening act was a test.

Li Xian calmly replied, "My family's miscellaneous skills are nothing to brag about. That day, I merely took advantage of the weapons to luckily repel the enemy."

"The equipment?" Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "May I take a look?"

Li Xian took out a sonic vibrator from his pocket—a walnut-sized metal sphere with a smooth, mirror-like surface. He placed the sphere on the table: "Pressing this will release a specific frequency of sound waves to disrupt the enemy's internal energy. However, its power is limited; it's effective against those at the Earthly Realm, but its effect is minimal against those at the Heavenly Realm and above."

Qin Xiao reached out to take it, but Li Xian withdrew his hand first: "This item recognizes its owner; if someone else touches it, it may destroy itself."

The atmosphere in the banquet hall was slightly tense.

Several local gentry exchanged glances, clearly thinking Li Xian was being arrogant. The leader of the Iron Fist Sect—a burly man with a thick beard—scoffed, "Playing tricks!"

Chu Huaizhou smoothed things over, saying, "General Qin, please don't be in such a hurry. We can discuss this after the banquet. Besides strengthening our friendship, I have two important matters to discuss with you all today."

He raised his wine glass and surveyed the room: "Firstly, remnants of the Black Feather Guard from the previous dynasty are active in Tonghai Prefecture, and three days ago they openly attacked an official ship. According to intelligence reports, they have already colluded with overseas forces in the 'Traya' Kingdom."

Qin Xiao continued, "I have already mobilized three thousand Green Eagle Guards to garrison the city, but matters in the martial world still require the cooperation of all of you."

The leaders of each sect expressed their opinions, and the banquet hall was filled with passionate and enthusiastic atmosphere.

After everyone quieted down, Chu Huaizhou continued, "Secondly, it concerns the recruitment of talents by the 'Heavenly Craft Academy.' The Heavenly Craft Academy was personally established by His Majesty to specialize in the study of esoteric arts and ingenious mechanisms."

He looked at Li Xian with a gentle smile: "Young Master Li, the sonic technique you used that day was exquisite. If you are willing to offer it to the court, I, Chu, can recommend you to the Imperial Crafts Academy for a position of service."

All eyes were once again on the room.

Li put down his chopsticks and calmly said, "Lord Chu is too kind. However, the manufacturing process of that instrument is complex, requiring special materials and techniques, and it demands a high level of skill from the user. If presented to the court, it may be difficult to popularize it."

"You flatter me, young master." Chu Huaizhou's smile remained unchanged. "The imperial court has its own skilled craftsmen for materials and craftsmanship. As for the users—there are quite a few extraordinary people in the Imperial Crafts Academy."

Having said that much, they've already pressed their advantage step by step.

Miss Chunmeng gently grasped Li Xian's hand under the table; her fingertips were icy cold. She whispered in his ear, "He's forcing you to choose sides. Either submit to the court, or… become its enemy."

Li Xian was well aware of this. He was carefully considering his words when a sharp, piercing sound suddenly came from outside the window!

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!"

Three jet-black arrows pierced through the window paper, forming a triangular shape aimed straight at Chu Huaizhou's throat!

"Protect the master!" Qin Xiao shouted sharply, his sword already drawn!

The blade flashed like snow, slicing down two arrows in mid-air! The third arrow, however, was slapped away by a guard beside Chu Huaizhou with his bare palm—the guard's palm gleamed with a dark golden light, indicating that he was a master of metal-based hard skills!

"Black Feather Guards!" Qin Xiao roared.

More than ten dark figures leaped in through the window, all dressed in black and masked, their blades flashing sharply! The leader's eyes gleamed with a sharp light, revealing him to be at the initial stage of the Heavenly Origin realm!

Chaos erupted!

The Green Eagle Guard generals drew their swords to meet the attack, and the leaders of the martial arts sects also unleashed their unique skills. The Iron Fist Sect Master's fists were like hammers, each punch accompanied by the sound of air being cut; the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect Master's sword light was like clouds, enveloping the three men in black; the Hundred Herbs Hall Master scattered medicinal powder all over the sky, and the skin of those who touched it immediately ulcerated.

But Li Xian noticed that although the Black Feather Guards' attacks were fierce, they always held back at crucial moments—it didn't seem like they were going to kill anyone, but rather like they were testing the waters.

His mind raced, and he suddenly looked at Chu Huaizhou.

Chu Huaizhou was surrounded by guards, his expression calm, and even... there was a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.

acting!

Just then, heavy footsteps, like metal scraping against the ground, came from downstairs.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Each sound made the floorboards tremble.

The withered skeletal immortal, leaning on an ebony cane, slowly ascended the stairs. Behind him followed five figures—the Five Elements Corpse Puppets!

The golden corpse is entirely dark gold, with ten hook-like fingers that make a "crackling" sound when it walks; the wooden corpse has skin like old tree bark and its joints can twist strangely; the water corpse is soaking wet, and the dripping water droplets corrode the floor and emit blue smoke; the fire corpse has bloodshot eyes and spews black smoke from its mouth and nose; the earth corpse is short and stout, and the ground trembles with every step it takes.

The pressure from the initial stage of the Divine Origin Realm spread out like a tidal wave!

"You withered old ghost!" Qin Xiao's expression turned grave. "You dare commit murder in the state capital?!"

The withered skeletal immortal chuckled strangely: "Qin Xiao, I only need two people today—Spring Dream girl and the boy beside her. Everyone else, get out of my way or you can live."

He pointed his cane, and the golden corpse was the first to pounce on Miss Chunmeng!

Miss Chunmeng gritted her teeth, and dark red demonic energy surged out. But as soon as she began to circulate her energy, the black lines on her left arm spread to her neck, and she spat out a mouthful of black blood!

The poison has taken effect!

"Sister Meng!" Peng Shitao hurriedly reached for her silver needles, but was stopped by the wooden corpse—the wooden corpse's arm suddenly stretched out and wrapped around her throat like a vine!

At the critical moment, Li pressed the sonic oscillator!

"Buzz—!"

An 877 Hz square wave superimposed with a 1223 Hz sawtooth wave, unleashing its full power!

The five elemental corpse puppets froze simultaneously! Each of them was controlled by Gu worms, making them extremely sensitive to this frequency!

But the withered bone master merely snorted coldly: "A trivial skill."

He slammed his cane on the ground, and a chilling mental pressure spread out! That was the "Soul-Seizing Technique" unique to the Divine Origin Realm, capable of directly affecting the opponent's mind!

Li Xian felt a sharp pain in his head, and his vision went black. Deep within his consciousness, the dark red crystal trembled violently, and crimson light seeped from its cracks.

"Energy... I need energy..." The manager's voice echoed in my mind, weak but clear.

Li gritted his teeth and took out three smaller metal balls from his pocket—the "sonic grenades" that Superman had urgently made last night.

"General Qin!" he shouted, "Smash them!"

Qin Xiao understood, and with a flash of his blade, the three metal spheres were shattered in mid-air!

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Three muffled thuds, three sound waves of different frequencies exploded together! This time, it was not only aimed at the Gu worms, but also at the energy nodes of the corpse puppet!

Fine sparks of electricity erupted from the joints of the Five Elements Corpse Puppet, causing its movements to slow down once again!

"Huh?" A look of surprise flashed in the eyes of the Bone Master. "You brat, you actually know the art of breaking puppets?"

Just as he was about to make another move, Bingwei's cold voice suddenly rang out from the corner: "Elder Kugu, stop."

The three from Linghan Palace stood up.

Bingwei looked at Chu Huaizhou, her tone calm and even: "Lord Chu, have you finished your act?"

Chu Huaizhou finally smiled and clapped his hands, saying, "Miss Bingwei has excellent judgment."

With a wave of his hand, eight men in purple robes emerged from behind the screens at the four corners of the third floor! Each man held a bronze mirror in his hand, from which beams of purple light emanated, weaving into a net in the air and enveloping the entire third floor!

"The Eight Gates Soul-Locking Formation!" The withered bone monk's expression changed. "Chu Huaizhou, you plotted against me?!"

"Otherwise, how could we lure you into a trap?" Chu Huaizhou calmly rose to his feet. "Elder Kugu, your Demonic Sect's orthodox lineage is colluding with Linghan Palace, secretly supporting the Black Feather Guard. Do you really think the imperial court is unaware?"

Bingwei said calmly, "Linghan Palace is merely cooperating with the Demonic Sect, each getting what they need. Now that we've been exposed, let's part ways."

Three ice talismans flew out from her sleeve and stuck to the purple light net. The ice crystals spread and even froze the array, causing cracks!

"Trying to leave?" Qin Xiao swung his sword at Bing Wei!

Bingwei neither dodged nor evaded. Behind her, two women in white simultaneously drew their swords, their sword light surging like an icy river, forcefully blocking Qin Xiao's blade! The sword energy collided with the blade energy, and the resulting shockwave overturned two tables!

Meanwhile, the Bone Master took the opportunity to strike repeatedly with his cane, and the Five Elements Corpse Puppets broke free from the sound wave restraints and pounced on Miss Chunmeng and Mr. Li!

In the critical moment, five figures suddenly flew in through the window—

A drone squadron has arrived!

"Sonic interference at full power!" The Superman's belly speaker erupted with a piercing noise!

Batman unleashes a full-range sound wave, causing the Five Elements Corpse Puppet's movements to become chaotic once again!

The Dark Knight's optical camouflage unfolds, creating more than ten illusions in the air to confuse the enemy's vision!

Big Sister and Little Sister unleashed a torrential downpour of steel needles, targeting the corpse puppet's joints and eye sockets!

In the chaos, Li Xian pulled Miss Chunmeng and Peng Shitao back to the window. Miss Chunmeng coughed up another mouthful of black blood, her breath weak; the poison had already invaded her heart.

"Hold on." Li Xian channeled a wisp of holy water energy into her, barely stabilizing her heartbeat.

His gaze swept across the entire room, meeting Bingwei's gaze.

Her eyes were complex: there was guilt, helplessness, and a hint of... indescribable emotion. Her lips moved slightly, and she silently uttered three words.

Mr. Li understood: I'm sorry.

He understood perfectly. She had no choice in what happened at Qixia Pavilion that night.

"Young Master Li," Chu Huaizhou suddenly transmitted his voice secretly, "if you are willing to truly submit to the imperial court, the position of Vice Dean of the Heavenly Crafts Academy will be vacant. Otherwise... you will not be able to leave Wangjiang Tower today."

Enticement, and also an ultimatum.

Li Xian took a deep breath, then suddenly pushed open the window. The night wind rushed in, making his robes flutter.

"Lord Chu, General Qin, Elder Kugu, Miss Bingwei—" His voice was clear, overpowering the sounds of battle, "If you wish to fight, please continue. But there is one thing I must say beforehand."

He raised his right hand, palm facing upward. Deep within his consciousness, the Administrator frantically drained his remaining life energy, causing the dark red crystal to shine brightly!

"This 'friend' inside me has a bad temper. If I really force it out..."

Before he finished speaking, a drop of dark red liquid appeared out of thin air in Li Xian's palm—it was "pseudo-holy water" forcibly condensed by the administrator. Although it lacked the vitality of real holy water, it contained violent destructive energy!

The liquid spun and suspended, distorting the surrounding air and producing a hissing sound.

The withered skeleton's pupils constricted sharply: "This is... the energy aura of a sage from beyond the heavens?!"

Chu Huaizhou's expression was also grave: "Young Master Li, do not act impulsively."

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from the street below! This was followed by a deep, angry shout:

"Han Jinan of Han Family Fortress is here! Who dares to touch Young Master Li?!"

Dozens of figures surged up the stairs! Leading them was none other than Han Jinan, the lord of Han Family Fortress, dressed in a purple robe, his beard and hair standing on end, his body wreathed in cyan-green lightning energy! Behind him followed Elder Feng, Elder Peng, and… Xiao Lingshan!

Xiao Lingshan's blue robes were stained with dust, clearly indicating she had been traveling for days, but her gaze was sharp as a sword. She spotted Li Xian at a glance, then at the frail Miss Chunmeng and Peng Shitao beside him. Her eyes flickered slightly, but she said nothing, only tightening her grip on the long sword in her hand.

"Master Han?" Chu Huaizhou frowned. "This is official business of the imperial court. Does Han Family Fort want to interfere?"

Han Jinan sneered: "Lord Chu, you set up a banquet to lure and capture the Demonic Sect, which my Han Family Fortress will not concern itself with. But Young Master Li has done my Han family a favor, and Elder Feng's injuries still need his treatment—today, anyone who touches Young Master Li will be making an enemy of my Han Family Fortress!"

His body surged with lightning energy, transforming into five emerald green electric snakes that snaked around him! He unleashed the full pressure of a mid-stage Heavenly Origin Realm expert, standing shoulder to shoulder with Qin Xiao!

The situation has reversed again.

The withered bone master's face was gloomy. Although he was at the Divine Origin Realm, he had little chance of winning today against Han Jinan's Thunderous Might, Qin Xiao's military swordsmanship, Chu Huaizhou's Eight Gates Soul Locking Formation, and Li Xian's strange energy aura.

Seeing this, Bingwei made a decisive decision: "Retreat!"

Three white figures crashed through the window and disappeared into the night.

The withered skeleton glared fiercely at Li Xian, slamming his cane on the ground: "Boy, we'll meet again."

The five elemental corpse puppets gathered together, protecting him as he broke through the purple light net and leaped out of the window.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the Black Feather Guards also retreated.

In the blink of an eye, the formidable enemy was defeated.

The banquet hall was in a mess: broken wood, porcelain shards, bloodstains, and corrosive marks left by the Five Elements Corpse Puppet.

Chu Huaizhou looked at Han Jinan, then at Li Xian, and suddenly laughed: "Good, good. Young Master Li is indeed no ordinary person; even Lord Han is willing to stand up for you."

He closed his folding fan, his tone softening: "That's enough for today. If Young Master Li changes his mind, he can come to the prefectural office to see me at any time."

After saying that, he led Qin Xiao and the others downstairs and left.

The leaders of the martial arts sects also took their leave one after another. In the blink of an eye, only Li Xian and his group, the people of Han Family Fort, and the devastation remained on the third floor.

Xiao Lingshan quickly walked up to Li Xian, her gaze lingering on his face for a moment, and whispered, "Are you alright?"

"It's nothing." Li Xian shook his head and looked at Han Jinan. "Master Han, thank you for helping me out."

Han Jinan waved his hand, his expression grave: "Elder Feng has been struck by the Bone-Corroding Yin Fiend Palm of the Old Ghost of Withered Bones. Elder Peng barely managed to keep him alive with his water-based techniques, but he won't last more than three days. Young Master Li, you say you can save him, is that true?"

Li Xian looked at Elder Feng—the old man was lying on a stretcher, his face ashen, a dark palm print slowly spreading on his left shoulder, the skin in the area as dry as tree bark.

"We need Thunder Pattern Iron," Li Xian said.

Han Jinan said, "My Han Family Fortress has Thunder Pattern Iron."

Miss Chunmeng leaned weakly against the window, watching this scene, a bitter smile appearing on her lips. She coughed softly, coughing up black blood again.

Peng Shitao quickly administered acupuncture: "Sister Meng, you mustn't get angry anymore!"

Li Xian walked to Miss Chunmeng's side and took her hand. The drop of dark red "pseudo-holy water" in his palm slowly seeped into her body, temporarily suppressing the activity of the Gu worms.

"Hold on for three more days," he whispered. "Once I rescue Elder Feng and obtain the Thunder Pattern Iron, I'll be able to create a molecular-level magnetic beam knife. At that time... I will definitely cure your Gu poison."

Miss Chunmeng looked at him, her eyes glistening with tears, and finally just nodded gently.

Outside the window, the night was deep.

The river breeze dispersed the stench of blood, but it could not dispel the thick fog.

Li Xian stood before the broken window, gazing at the distant river. Deep within his consciousness, the administrator's voice echoed faintly:

"I saved you today, which consumed thirty percent of my accumulated energy. Remember, you owe me."

"The day I awaken will be the day our true transaction begins."

On the dark red crystal, the crack widened further. But deep within the crack, new crystals were growing, slowly but steadily.

Li clenched his fist.

The road ahead is long and arduous, with formidable enemies lurking all around.

But he had no way out.