The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

"Next!"

Thus, from noon to late afternoon, Gu Cheng interrogated seven girls in succession.

Everyone thrown out of the room was barely alive; the last two were even incontinent and were unconscious when they were carried out.

The brothel was in complete chaos. The madam was frantic, but dared not disturb the young master Ye.

The servant she sent reported that Young Master Ye was listening to Liu Ruyan play the zither, and there were skilled guards outside the door, making it impossible for him to get close.

“What should I do?”

The madam's legs went weak as she watched the fine sand slowly slip away in the hourglass.

It's almost time for the three-quarters of an hour to pass, and given Gu Cheng's temperament, he might really kill her.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out downstairs.

The thunderous hoofbeats of the dragon-scaled horse echoed as He Liang led the charge, followed by the deathly pale Li Wenzhi and the trembling Zeng Xianming.

In front of the Fengyue Tower, three hundred soldiers from the prefecture stood in full armor, completely surrounding the tower.

"What's going on?"

Li Wenzhi's voice trembled, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

With the Liang Prince's Mansion massacre still unsolved and the Fengyue Tower now surrounded by heavy troops, it seems his time as the prefect of Longhai is coming to an end.

Zeng Xianming's face turned ashen, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to fall off his horse.

He knew better than anyone that if General Gucheng lost even a single hair at the brothel, his entire family would be executed.

He Liang glanced coldly at the encirclement and dismounted.

The dragon-scaled horse snorted, and the white vapor it exhaled startled the surrounding warhorses, causing them to retreat.

"Lord He!"

A centurion strode forward and knelt on one knee.

"A murder has occurred inside the brothel. Your subordinates have been ordered to seal off the scene."

"Homicide?"

He Liang frowned slightly.

"How many people died?"

"Reporting to your Excellency, a preliminary count reveals eighteen corpses, all of them guards and girls from the brothel."

He Liang said no more and strode towards the main entrance of Fengyue Tower.

Li Wenzhi and Zeng Xianming exchanged a glance and reluctantly followed.

As soon as he stepped across the threshold, a strong smell of blood hit him, making Zeng Xianming's stomach churn and almost causing him to vomit.

The brothel was deathly silent, except for the faint, ethereal sound of a zither emanating from the third floor, mixed with the moans of a woman, which seemed even more eerie in this environment littered with corpses.

Corpses lay scattered on the ground, including guards whose throats had been slit by a knife and girls with disheveled clothes.

The blood pooled into a stream, slowly flowing down the stairs.

Zeng Xianming counted them and was shocked—there were far more than eighteen people! There were twelve corpses on the first floor alone!

He Liang remained unfazed and walked straight upstairs through the pool of blood.

As soon as I reached the third floor, I heard a loud bang. The carved wooden door of the innermost room burst open, and a burly figure strode out amidst the flying wood chips.

"Damn it, who's the idiot who's disturbing my enjoyment?"

The general of the isolated city was shirtless, wearing only a black outer robe, and the hideous scar on his chest rose and fell with his breath.

He was fastening his belt while cursing, and a shivering, snow-white figure could be vaguely seen behind the bed curtains.

He Liang knelt on one knee.

"General."

Gu Cheng glanced at the three people kneeling on the ground and waved his hand impatiently.

"Get up."

He accepted the painting offered by Zeng Xianming with both hands, then suddenly grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"interesting."

A black light emanated from his fingertips as he gently touched the screen.

A faint halo appeared on the screen, and two figures trapped inside could be vaguely seen—Jiang Chuan and Wu Shuang.

"The sword-nurturing gourd of Huoshenshan Hospital?"

Gu Cheng's gaze fell on the small crimson gourd at Wu Shuang's waist, with a hint of greed.

"That old bastard Lu Jianxiong's grand-disciple? What a pity."

He closed his folding fan, casually tossed it to He Liang, and turned to look at the trembling Li Wenzhi.

"Prefect Li."

Gu Cheng's voice suddenly turned cold.

"With one mishap after another at the Liang Prince's residence, are you having a very comfortable time as the prefect?"

Li Wenzhi knelt down with a thud, his forehead touching the ground.

"This humble official is incompetent; please punish me, General!"

"inability?"

Gu Cheng kicked over the coffee table next to him, and the sound of porcelain shattering made Li Wenzhi tremble.

"Do you fucking think the eldest son of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect would assassinate that good-for-nothing Prince Liang?"

"I don't dare!"

Li Wenzhi's voice was trembling with tears.

"But... but Young Master Jiang did indeed appear at the crime scene."

"Fuck your mother's fart!"

Enraged, Gu Cheng slapped Li Wenzhi to the ground.

"The Cloud Sea Immortal Sect wants Prince Liang dead, why would they need to do it secretly? I'll lead my troops to raze Prince Liang's mansion right now, and see if the imperial court dares to utter a sound!"

Li Wenzhi's mouth was bleeding, but he dared not wipe it away and could only keep kowtowing.

"General, please calm down! I was foolish! I deserve to die!"

Gu Cheng snorted coldly and then turned his gaze to Zeng Xianming, whose face was ashen.

"And you!"

The murderous intent in Gu Cheng's eyes surged.

"A mere military commander dares to spread rumors that Jiang Chuan is an assassin? Who gave you the guts?"

Zeng Xianming was trembling all over, and his crotch was already soaked.

"General, spare my life! I was only following your slanderous words!"

"Believing slander?"

Gu Cheng approached with a sinister grin.

"As the General Who Guards the West, I have to be polite even to the outer disciples of the Cloud Sea Immortal Sect. Who do you think you are? How dare you slander the young master of the Immortal Sect?"

Before he could finish speaking, Gu Cheng suddenly kicked out, striking Zeng Xianming squarely in the chest.

"Crack!"

The sound of his sternum shattering was clearly audible. Zeng Xianming was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"General"

Zeng Xianming struggled to get up, spitting out a mouthful of blood with every word he uttered.

"Please, spare my life!"

Gu Cheng spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva.

"waste!"

He turned around, grabbed the wine jug on the table, and took a swig, his eyes still blazing with anger.

"He Liang!"

"My subordinate is here."

"Take Zhao Zhen's head and this painting with you."

Gu Cheng wiped the corner of his mouth.

"I'd like to see which fool dares to cause trouble in Longhai County!"

He Liang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

Gu Cheng kicked the dying Zeng Xianming again.

"Drag this piece of trash away, don't let him dirty my eyes."

Two black-armored guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Zeng Xianming away like a dead dog, leaving a shocking bloodstain on the floor.

Gu Cheng straightened his robes, then suddenly grinned, a smile colder than a blade.

"Let's go to the Liang Prince's mansion and meet that brain-dead prince."

He patted He Liang on the shoulder.

"I'm going to kill someone today."

Outside the Fengyue Tower, the setting sun was like blood. Three hundred soldiers from the prefecture automatically parted to make way for him, and Gu Cheng strode towards the dragon-scaled horse. Wherever he passed, the soldiers lowered their heads, and no one dared to meet his gaze.

He Liang mounted his horse and glanced at the blood-stained folding fan in his hand. Jiang Chuan's figure was faintly visible on the fan's surface.

His expression was somewhat complicated, but he quickly regained his coldness.

"drive!"

The thunderous sound of hooves echoed as the group galloped toward the Liang Prince's residence. People on both sides of the street scrambled to avoid them, fearing they might get into trouble.

They knew that tonight, Longhai County was destined to be awash in blood.
The lonely city stands before the Wind and Moon Pavilion, its black and gold battle robes fluttering in the wind.

He placed his right hand on the sword seal at his waist, and the ancient bronze seal suddenly emitted a dazzling blue light.

With a deafening roar, a colossal black and white beast leaped out of the light, its impact causing the bluestone slabs to crack inch by inch upon landing.

"Roar--"

The iron-eating beast roared to the sky, revealing its gleaming white fangs. Its saliva dripped onto the ground, corroding and producing wisps of blue smoke.

"Beast, be quiet!" Gu Cheng raised his leg and kicked the Iron-Eating Beast in the neck with his black iron combat boots.

The ferocious beast was in pain but dared not resist. It merely shrank its neck in grievance and vented its anger on Li Wenzhi, who was standing to the side.

Li Wenzhi turned pale and nearly fell over.

"General."

"He Liang!"

The lone city turned over and mounted the iron-eating beast.

"Take this bunch of good-for-nothings to the Liang Prince's mansion. If even one of them is missing, you'll be beheaded."

As He Liang clasped his hands in acceptance of the order, a melody from a zither drifted into the lonely city's ears.

The tone was clear and cold, like frost, yet it pierced through the noise of the street.

Following the sound, Gu Cheng saw a blind woman in plain clothes sitting on the stone steps, her ten fingers flying like butterflies on the zither.

"interesting."

Gu Cheng's lips curled up, and he suddenly raised his hand as if to grab.

An invisible force swept past, and the zither player cried out in surprise as she and her zither were lifted into the air, landing steadily on the back of the iron-eating beast.

The guqin crashed to the ground and broke in two. In her panic, the guqin player grabbed the beast head on the front of the lone city's breastplate and swallowed it.

Her eyes were covered with a white silk cloth, but it couldn't hide her panic.

"General, spare your life!"

Gu Cheng wrapped one arm around her slender waist, and the touch was even smoother than the finest brocade.

He leaned close to the woman's ear and smelled the cool fragrance.

"You played well. I, the general, will grant you a ride with me."

"No, it's not possible."

The woman playing the zither trembled, her delicate hands pressing against his iron armor, but she couldn't budge him an inch.

Gu Cheng chuckled softly, his iron glove brushing against her cheek.

"She's blind, yet she's so beautiful."

As he spoke, he suddenly ripped open her collar, revealing half of her snow-white shoulder.

The woman playing the zither cried out in surprise and hurriedly pulled her clothes together, but he grabbed her wrist.

"General!"

He Liang couldn't help but speak up.

"King Liang is still waiting."

"roll!"

Without turning his head, Gu Cheng rebuked him, and the Iron-Eating Beast cooperated by snorting out a breath that smelled of iron.

He pinched the woman's chin and said teasingly.

"How about I take you for a parade through the streets? Let all the people of the city see my newest plaything."

The woman with the zither shook her head desperately, her loose strands of hair brushing against the back of Gu Cheng's hand.

This resistance only fueled Gu Cheng's interest, and he laughed loudly as he urged the Iron-Eating Beast to move.

The giant beast stood upright, terrifying the onlookers who scattered and fled.

"Hurry up!"

The lone city was gripped by the beast's belly, and the iron-eating beast transformed into a black and white afterimage as it charged toward the end of the long street, overturning countless stalls along the way.

The woman was forced to press herself tightly against his chest, and as she listened to the whistling wind in her ears, she gradually stopped struggling.

Meanwhile, in the magnificent landscape painting.

Jiang Chuan sat cross-legged by the Emerald Lake, surrounded by seven streams of emerald green spiritual energy.

His chest was soaked with blood, and he was breathing out wisps of black mist with each breath.

"If we keep adjusting our breathing like this, it'll be dark soon."

Wu Shuang kicked pebbles listlessly, glancing at Deng Yinhe, who had been thrown under a tree.

"Hey, are you sure the advisor can find this place?"

There was no response. Wu Shuang pursed her lips, then her eyes suddenly lit up.

"winter solstice!"

A crystal-clear flying sword appeared in response, its blade shimmering with a cold light like fine snow. Wu Shuang patted the hilt.

"I'll stay here and explore the way while I keep this taciturn man by."

The flying sword, Dongzhi, emitted a clear and melodious sword cry and reluctantly hovered above Jiang Chuan's head.

Once Wu Shuang's figure disappeared at the end of the mountain path, it suddenly turned to the black short sword floating to the side.

The black jade sword floated quietly, its blade occasionally flashing with a dark light.

The sword circled around it three times on the winter solstice, then suddenly its light intensified, forcibly controlling the black jade to draw several crooked trajectories in the air.

"Zheng——"

Mo Yu suddenly trembled, and Dong Zhi loosened her grip as if she had been burned.

The two swords fell at the same time. Dongzhi hurriedly caught Moyu, but disdainfully used the tip of his sword to flick it into the grass.

"Have enough fun?"

When the cold female voice rang out, Dongzhi was so frightened that his sword stiffened.

The mountain spirit stepped out of the void, its bare feet touching the ground without being stained by dust.

She reached out and beckoned, and Dongzhi obediently fell into her palm.

"Still as unruly as ever after a century."

The mountain spirit lightly flicked the sword's blade with its fingertips, and the winter solstice emitted a mournful hum.

She walked up to Jiang Chuan and frowned when she saw the blood surging between his brows.

"Even with sword energy devouring your heart, you still dare to stubbornly endure."

Her delicate hand pressed against Jiang Chuan's head, and countless sword shadows appeared around the mountain spirit.

Those phantoms burrowed into Jiang Chuan's seven orifices, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood, within which were tiny fragments of sword light.

"You must not use your internal energy for three days."

Just as the mountain spirit withdrew its hand, Jiang Chuan opened its eyes.

His pupils reflected the woman's stunning beauty, and for a moment, it overlapped with a scene from the depths of his memory.

"Thank you, senior."

Jiang Chuan tried to get up and bow, but the mountain spirit pressed him back to his original position.

She touched his brow with her fingertip.

"Remember, if you recklessly use your inner energy again, no one will be able to save you when the sea of ​​suffering boils over."

Having said that, it transformed into a stream of light and disappeared into Jiangchuan Dantian, leaving only a wisp of fragrance lingering away.

On the winter solstice, a sudden, violent tremor occurred, and the tassels of swords moved without wind.

It remembered! A hundred years ago, on the summit of Mount Huoshen, beside the man holding a sword, stood this fairy sister.

At that time, she wasn't a sword spirit yet, but a flower... a flower.
The sword's cry abruptly ceased.

As the winter solstice fell to the ground, it could no longer remember the name of that flower.

"Report! A murder has occurred at the Fengyue Tower; three people have been killed!"

Liu Kuan, the military commander of the prefecture, trembled as he held the teacup, splashing scalding tea onto the back of his hand.

He stood up abruptly.

"Who's so blind as to cause trouble at the brothel?"

Liu Kuan's face darkened, and he grabbed the helmet from the table.

"Gather the troops! Follow me to arrest the man!"

Half an hour later, two hundred armored and armed soldiers from the prefecture had completely surrounded the Fengyue Tower.

The crowd that had gathered to watch the commotion in front of the building was driven away to a distance of more than ten feet, with a few of the bolder ones even standing on tiptoe to peer inside.

"Listen to me!"

Liu Kuan stood in front of the Fengyue Tower, his hand on the hilt of his sword, his voice booming.

"Not a single person inside is allowed to escape; any who resist will be killed without exception!"

He drew his sword with a "whoosh," kicked open the carved gate, and led twenty elite armored soldiers inside.

The brothel was in complete disarray, with corpses lying on the floor and blood staining the carpet.

Liu Kuan's gaze swept across the room and locked onto the one on the east side of the second floor, which had a sign that read "Tingyuxuan"—that was the scene of the murder.

"on!"

Liu Kuan waved his hand, and the armored soldiers rushed up the stairs like wolves and tigers.

As soon as Liu Kuan arrived at the door of the side room, he heard a woman sobbing inside.

He sneered and kicked the door open.

"You audacious madman, surrender now!"

Before he could finish speaking, a dark shadow flew towards him.

"Snapped!"

Liu Kuan felt a burning pain on half of his face, and his mouth immediately tasted blood.

He staggered back two steps, spitting out two bloody teeth, only then realizing that what had hit his face was an ebony token.

The five gilded characters "General Zhenxi's Mansion" on the token stung his eyes.

"Blind your dog eyes!"

A cold shout came from inside the room.

Liu Kuan shuddered and looked up. (End of Chapter)