Star Trace Gate

[Congratulations, Emperor! With your abundant martial virtue, you have successfully slain Lady He Zhuzhu, the guardian of the secret realm of Beifeng Town, and recruited her as a guard of Qingliang Prefecture.]

Within the isolated illusion, Ren Ye quickly sheathed the Human Emperor Sword and let out a long sigh of relief: "Phew... Damn, that was close."

"It's done?!" Fan Ming's voice rang in my ears.

Ren also reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Yes, it's done. She was just one step away from being annihilated."

Immediately after killing Niu Dali at the East Gate, Xiao Huaiwang led Chu Daoye, the young marquis, and five hundred reinforcements led by Fan Ming to the North Tower No. 1 teleportation array for reinforcement. He knew very well that once the six thousand Netherworld Iron Cavalry entered the city, the two thousand Divine Court prisoners led by Wang Anquan would have a hard time resisting their encirclement and attack, so reinforcements had to be delivered quickly.

But he never expected the situation at the North Tower No. 1 Formation to be so critical. Even before they were on their way, they had already sensed the terrifying aura of He Zhuzhu and over two hundred others collectively turning to Dao. To be honest, this scene terrified Little Bad King, who secretly murmured a few more tears. If He Zhuzhu had turned to Dao, it meant Wang Anquan was also close to death. And if that old bastard died, all their previous efforts would be in vain; not only would they fail to complete their Heavenly Dao mission, but they would also find it extremely difficult to reclaim North Wind Town.

If Little Mischief King was so frightened that he shed a few drops, then Daoist Chu must have been so frightened that he suddenly developed uterine fibroids. Because if he failed to complete his mission in Beifeng Town, the Heavenly Punishment he would suffer would be even more severe than Ren Ye's; he would be directly banished from the entire secret realm, his migration destination for 251 years, and his title would be "sealed" for half a year…

Fortunately, after everyone rushed to the scene, they still managed to catch up with He Zhuzhu at the last moment before she vanished from the heavens and earth, and discovered that Wang Anquan was not dead, so the situation could still be reversed.

Although Ren Ye's promotions meant an increase in the number of bodyguards a person could have, he was always someone who felt he was losing out if he didn't take advantage of others. Therefore, he was extremely cautious about recruiting bodyguards. He wouldn't recruit those without special talents, those without unique skills, those of too low a rank, or those lacking the necessary personality traits… In short, his principle for recruiting bodyguards was that they must be of impeccable character, capable of causing trouble, and willing to work hard and eat little…

Therefore, the reason he chose He Zhuzhu was twofold: firstly, he had a good impression of the garrison's wife, and she was a fifth-grade expert who cultivated a special Hunyuan technique; secondly, he admired Wang Anquan, and was even somewhat fascinated and "unfathomable" about him. He had always wanted to stab the other man in the back, and only then did he not hesitate to stab his wife first.

After stabbing the lady, Ren immediately gathered his spiritual energy and transmitted his voice to Fan Ming: "Fifth Brother, there's no time. I'll leave the North Tower No. 1 Formation to you. I have some important things to take care of."

Fan Ming replied solemnly, "I know the importance of this matter. You can go without worry. I'll take care of things here."

As soon as he finished speaking, he used his divine soul power to activate the magic weapon, and with a sweep of his hands, he dispelled the illusion that isolated the void.

Ren, disguised as a woman in a gray robe, flew away with great effort to conceal her presence, and together with Chu Daoye, who was hiding in the shadows, they quickly left the North Tower No. 1 Formation.

……

Qingliang Prefecture, inside the Heavenly Prison.

"Ta Tata..."

A series of hurried footsteps sounded, and Brother Huang, dressed in official robes, hurried towards a prison cell.

As he walked, he asked the jailer beside him, "Are you sure the newcomer is a burly woman?"

The jailer quickly nodded: "Yes."

Brother Huang paused for a moment, then sighed, "Sigh, my little brother's tastes really change every day...!"

Before long, he arrived outside the cell and looked up at He Zhuzhu inside.

He Zhuzhu was summoned to Qingliang Prefecture when she was on the verge of death, so at this moment she was disheveled, weak, and her eyes were confused and desperate as she murmured, "Where...where is this? The underworld?"

Brother Huang stood with his hands behind his back, scrutinizing He Zhuzhu while carefully sensing her aura. Then, he asked in surprise, "Huh? I can't even tell your level?! What rank are you?"

Looking at the gloomy prison, He Zhuzhu subconsciously thought that she had really entered the underworld. Moreover, she had not yet recovered from the pain of separation and death, so even when facing the high-ranking officials of the underworld, she had no mood to reply.

"Damn it, my master is asking you a question! What rank are you?!" the jailer roared, trying to intimidate the guard.

With her hair disheveled, He Zhuzhu replied like a walking corpse, "Fifth rank."

Brother Huang's eyes lit up immediately, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Fifth Rank?! Great! This burly little sister is strong! That damned little devil, he finally remembered that his family is running out of talent and is starting to inject fresh blood!"

"Quickly, notify the clinic and treat her injuries immediately."

"Yes," the jailer replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Upon hearing this, He Zhuzhu became even more confused and asked, "Does the underworld really heal the wounds of the deceased? I'm already dead... what's the point?"

Upon hearing this, Brother Huang immediately sensed that this woman might not be very bright. Then, his eyes darted around and he replied, "Yes, things are more humane now. Even the underworld treats injuries. However, the economic situation hasn't been good these past two years... so you'll have to pay for your own treatment."

"To be more precise, it's a package deal. Once your injuries are healed, you can go home healthy on the seventh night after your death."

"what?!"

……

One incense stick later, in North Wind Town.

Ren also used his escape technique to hide the gray-robed woman's body underground, then returned to his identity as Zhenyi, and rushed to the vicinity of the Martial Monk's Mansion with Chu Daoye.

Upon arriving at this place, he first confirmed that the Martial Monk's Mansion had been captured by Moro. Then, he stood in mid-air, released his aura, and shouted loudly, "Wu Batian! Liu Wei! Respond quickly!"

Not far away, in an empty courtyard, Liu Wei heard shouts and suddenly looked up at the night sky.

Upon seeing Ren Ye, he was overjoyed and hurriedly waved his hand in response, "My lord, I'm here!"

Ren Ye and Chu Daoye flew down and landed steadily in the courtyard: "I see that the Martial Monk's Mansion has been captured. Are the brothers suffering heavy losses?"

Wu Batian, carrying a large hammer, was the first to answer: "No, no, we followed your orders. The brothers were just imitating you and acting like a turtle the whole time. We didn't fight or kill anyone. Besides, after we broke into the Martial Monk's Mansion, my father stopped us from going in and getting involved."

"Snapped!"

Liu Wei slapped Wu Batian on the back of the head, convulsing with anger as he cursed, "What kind of idiot tries to imitate adults like a turtle?! Is it that easy to learn? Oh... no, is that how you use that word? If you're stupid, don't make up such nonsense!"

"Sigh, you should shut up too." Ren Ye said speechlessly, then praised, "However, it was right not to join the martial monks' mansion. It's better not to get involved in some things. The situation is chaotic tonight. Preserving the lives of our brothers and maintaining our strength is more important than anything else."

"Quickly, call the brothers and let's get out of here together."

As soon as he finished speaking, Wu Batian immediately went to gather the cooks, while Ren Ye slowly turned to look at Liu Wei and asked abruptly, "I only put you in charge of the Heavenly Prison, why are you back so late?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Wei was slightly taken aback. After hesitating for a long time, he suddenly knelt down, bowed his head, and clasped his hands, saying, "Lord Zhenyi, I, Liu Wei, have failed your trust!"

Ren squinted at Liu Wei, feigning confusion as he asked, "Brother Liu, what makes you say that?"

Liu Wei's mind raced, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "I...I lied to the sir!"

Ren gave him a deep look and remained silent.

Liu Wei knelt there, motionless.

After a short while, Ren Ye reached out and pulled him, laughing, "Brother Liu, what are you doing? The situation in Beifeng Town is still unsettled and critical. Moreover, your subordinates are watching around here. Quickly... get up. We can talk about it later."

Liu Wei slowly raised his head to look at his expression, and after confirming that the other party was genuinely trying to pull him up, he stood up and replied, "Thank you, my lord."

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh...!"

Just then, a series of whooshing sounds came from the sky, and three or four hundred travelers surged with their auras, rushing towards the North Tower's No. 1 formation.

Ren looked up and saw that the leader was Moro: "Let's go, let's meet up with them first."

"it is good."

Liu Wei nodded quickly.

"boom!"

Ren Ye used his divine magic to fly away, waving his hand and shouting, "Senior brother, senior brother! I'm here...!"

The shouts echoed as Moro stopped in mid-air, looked down at the courtyard, and immediately spotted Ren Ye and the others. He then waved his hand and said, "Zhenyi is down below. Everyone, wait a moment."

Ren also took to the air and scurried over to Moro, clasping his hands in a fist and palm salute with a big smile, saying, "Congratulations, senior brother! You've finally taken down the Martial Monk's Mansion and confirmed Niu Dali's crimes."

Hearing this, Moro replied speechlessly, "What you're saying... Niu Dali is already dead, what use is it for me to confirm his crimes now? Moreover, the people of the Divine Court have already stormed in through the East Gate and reached the North Tower's No. 1 teleportation array. There are also thousands of prisoners of the Divine Court there. With the two forces combined, the situation in this city is already extremely precarious."

“Junior brother, Niu Dali is dead, which makes things a bit troublesome. You’ve come at the right time. Hurry up and come with me to reinforce Feng Daoquan. Otherwise, if Beifeng Town is lost and Tianzhao Temple is furious, it will be difficult for us to shirk responsibility.”

Without hesitation, the little rascal nodded and said, "Alright, let's head to the great formation together to provide support...!"

"Go, the faster the better."

As soon as he finished speaking, Moro took the lead and leaped away, his figure like an arrow released from a bow, heading straight for the North Tower No. 1 formation.

Behind him, Little Bad King followed closely while transmitting his voice to Liu Wei: "Brother, remember, it's the same old strategy. We'll just bark like crazy from behind, but whatever we do, don't go up and bite anyone. Stay calm, conserve your strength...!"

Liu Wei grinned: "Hehe, I get it...!"

……

Nourishing the Mind: A Dreamlike Landscape.

A second-rank official from the Imperial Household Department, carrying a register of the total amount of Star Source in both hands, walked briskly toward the main hall of the thatched hut where Daoist Qingfeng lived.

In the main hall, the monk Fulai was looking around at the furnishings and decorations with his hands behind his back, seemingly also sensing the feng shui layout of the place.

Hu Shu stepped into the hall, holding the register in both hands, and said excitedly, "Sir, it's all been counted. This batch of Star Source hidden by Niu Dali is a full 285.33 million! We checked it twice, and the amount is absolutely correct."

"Ah."

Fu Lai simply responded with a light nod, then reached out and took the register, glancing at it briefly: "Good, the statistics are very detailed. I will report this truthfully to Tianzhao Temple later. Those who saw Xingyuan tonight will all be credited."

Hu Shu was overjoyed upon hearing this and repeatedly clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "Thank you very much, sir. I am entirely grateful for your guidance."

Fu Lai put away the register and whispered, "Go back to the thatched hut and keep an eye on things. I'll go and call someone in with a special storage magic item to collect this batch of star resources."

"Yes."

Hu Shu bowed slightly, then turned and walked towards the thatched hut.

A moment later, Fu Lai left the dreamlike landscape and arrived steadily at the backyard of Yangxin Xiaozhu.

In the overgrown backyard, Feng Yiyang, the gray-robed battalion commander who had been waiting for a long time, immediately stepped forward when he saw Fu Lai: "Sir, is the inventory finished?"

Fu Lai, with a kind face, nodded slightly: "The inventory is complete, go ahead."