The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

Ying Li and Yi Bicheng exchanged a glance, their expressions both changing. Not far away, the sounds of battle were deafening; it was clear that the people from Dongye Manor had already started fighting with Chen Family Village!

The two held their breath, not daring to make a move. However, just as Ying Li and Yi Bicheng remained still, servants dressed in the attire of Winter Night Manor slowly emerged from the dilapidated door amidst the smoke of battle. Cheng Bo walked at the back with his hands behind his back, while two servants each carried a child of about fifteen or sixteen years old, one boy and one girl, carefully following the people in front.

It seems that the two children have only fainted and are not in any danger.

In less than half an hour, the place had vanished without a trace, the air thick with the tension of the earlier fighting. The smoke gradually dissipated, and visibility began to clear.

"Let's go in and take a look." Ying Li waited until Cheng Bo and the others had gone far away before straightening up from the small hill, looking at Chen Family Village not far away, and said to Yi Bicheng.

Yi Bicheng nodded and followed Ying Li towards Chen Family Village. Upon entering the gate, both were stunned by the sight before them. Before entering, the air in the village was nauseating, but the scene before them was far more nauseating. It was fortunate that Ying Li and Yi Bicheng had left without eating breakfast; otherwise, they probably would have vomited up by now.

The people in the village were covered in blood and flesh, heads connected together, some faces were unrecognizable, one face was completely sunken in, and another had a shocking and terrifying blood hole on its face, from which black blood gushed out, mixed with white blood plasma, and gave off a strong smell of bloody flesh.

The further in you go, the more horrific the scene becomes. Not a single body is intact; the limbs of these people have been intentionally or unintentionally broken and scattered everywhere. The few bandits whose faces haven't been disfigured have their features twisted together, looking ferocious and terrifying, with unspeakable fear in their eyes. It's clear that these people suffered immense torture before their deaths.

"The people of Winter Night Manor were so ruthless. What deep-seated hatred could they have? Not a single person was left alive in the entire Chen Family Village, not even the elderly, women, or children!" Ying Li covered her mouth and nose, looking at the gruesome corpses, her doubts growing stronger. Could it be that the people of Chen Family Village really did something heinous to Cheng Bo's daughter, Cheng Fei? Otherwise, why would Cheng Bo be so furious?!

“I don’t know that yet. Chen Family Village doesn’t have a good reputation. In the past fifteen years, countless people have died at the hands of the bandits of Chen Family Village every year. Most of them are cultivators from outside who come to gather spiritual herbs when the Dongye Mountain opens. They are new to the area and unfamiliar with the place, so they often mistakenly enter the land occupied by Chen Family Village. Over time, the bandits of Chen Family Village naturally kill them one by one and take the spiritual herbs and treasures they carry. In addition, those who mistakenly enter Chen Family Village are usually small people, and very few dare to come to seek revenge. So Chen Family Village has a proven track record of killing people every year.” Yi Bicheng said. He also couldn’t understand why Cheng Bo was so ruthless towards the bandits of Chen Family Village this time.

If he wanted to rid the people of a scourge, he didn't react in the past few years. And the young lady of Dongye Manor, also known as Consort Cheng, had been captured by the people of Chenjia Village for less than half an hour. Apart from the time she was brought here, the time it took for Cheng Bo to arrive and kill the village was exactly half an hour. The bandits really had no chance to do anything excessive to Consort Cheng.

What unspeakable secrets does this Winter Night Manor hold?

"Shh! Someone's coming." Ying Li grabbed Yi Bicheng and led her to the corner of a low house. The two squatted down in the corner and peeked out to observe the situation outside.

Three servants dressed in the attire of Winter Night Manor turned back halfway, each holding a torch and a flaming torch. They stared expressionlessly at the bandits reduced to blood and gore, a chilling glint in their eyes. Then, they hurled their torches and torches heavily into the highest point of the stronghold. The torches and torches rolled on the wooden stairs, sizzling and crackling as sparks spread like ripples on water. Soon, thick black smoke enveloped the sky!

"Let's go! Those who dare to betray the manor lord deserve to be ground to dust!"

"Keep your voice down, or it will bring shame to our Winter Night Manor!"

"What a coward, what a piece of trash! Everyone here is dead, there's no other trace left!"

One of the servants gave a cold laugh, looked at the towering flames, and said in a deep voice, then retreated back the way he came. The two men followed behind, looking back every step of the way, and only after confirming that no one was around did they swagger around.

Ying Li and Yi Bicheng, who were hiding not far away, exchanged a glance. It turned out that their guess was not unreasonable. Cheng Bo, the upright master of Dongye Manor, did indeed have an unfathomable relationship with these bandits!

“Girl, there’s something wrong with Cheng Bo. Do you still want to participate in the herb hunt at Winter Night Manor?” Yi Bicheng wondered to himself. Winter Night Manor had somehow gotten involved with bandits, and the connection had been there for a long time. If they participated in the herb hunt and something went wrong, it would be too late to back out.

Now that he's come to Winter Night Manor, he won't leave easily without gaining anything, after all, someone is still waiting for him. But Ying Li is different; she's just a young girl, it's best for her to avoid such dangerous things.

"What do you think, Brother Yi? You probably know a bit about Ying Li's temperament. Once I've made up my mind about something, I will never let go. I'd like to see what kind of unspeakable secret Cheng Bo, the current owner of the righteous Winter Night Manor, has." Ying Li smiled slightly, seemingly guessing Yi Bicheng's thoughts.

She wasn't afraid of the eerie atmosphere of Winter Night Manor; on the contrary, she needed it to accelerate her growth. Besides, a large quantity of spiritual herbs on Winter Night Mountain awaited her favor, and she wasn't about to be foolish enough to give them up. Some things, you won't know if they won't work if you don't try!

“In that case, let’s sneak back and, after passing the test, take a good look at Winter Night Manor,” Yi Bicheng said. He knew Ying Li all too well; once she made up her mind, there was little turning back. Since she could kill Yuan Zhongyue in front of everyone without a word or hesitation, she naturally didn’t want to miss out on something like this. Since he couldn’t persuade her otherwise, the two of them would go and see for themselves the filth and tricks hidden here.

After saying that, the two returned by the same route. About four hours later, the black smoke from Chenjia Village gradually dissipated. The village, which had been arrogant and domineering in the morning, fell into eternal silence at night.

Two days later, the test at Winter Night Manor finally arrived. Cheng Bo no longer showed himself; instead, an old man of about sixty years old led the way, his face weathered, his lips downturned, his eyelids upturned, and his cheekbones high on his thin face—a face that exuded a difficult and unapproachable aura. Sure enough, as soon as the old man appeared, the still noisy crowd immediately fell silent.

He glanced contemptuously at those who were trying to get the elixir for free, his mouth slightly open, but after a long while he still didn't say a word. He drew a circle with his right hand, and spiritual power burst out from his body. He then slammed his left hand into the circle in the void. The sound of the air exploding reverberated in people's eardrums. As the sound disappeared, a circular vortex suddenly appeared where the old man was.

After the vortex formed, the old man snorted coldly, flicked his sleeves, and left without lingering for a moment.

After the old man left, the steward stepped forward respectfully and said, "Distinguished talents, the testing illusion is now open. Please enter and take the test. Those who pass will have the opportunity to enter Winter Night Mountain to gather spiritual herbs. If you wish to stay and cultivate at Winter Night Manor after gathering the herbs, there are martial arts techniques available for you to choose from. You are here only to make friends, so please act according to your abilities and follow your heart."

After saying that, he made a gesture of invitation, and the steward took a step back and said no more.

Ying Li and Yi Bicheng stood in the crowd and clearly saw that the steward seemed to have a cold smile on his lips. Noticing that Ying Li was also looking at him, the man's eyes flickered slightly, and he put on a humble smile, as if his previous coldness was fake.

People rushed into the illusion, and in no time, the square was more than half empty. Ying Li and Yi Bicheng exchanged a glance, then looked back at the steward, who had already turned away and was no longer looking in their direction. Ying Li frowned slightly, but after a while, her mood calmed down. She walked to the circular vortex and stepped inside.

Yi Bicheng followed closely behind, and after the two entered the illusion, the entire Winter Night Manor fell into a deathly silence once again. A day and a night later, when Ying Li walked out of the illusion alone, Cheng Bo was standing at the exit. His face still held the same peaceful and gentle expression as when they first met, and he looked at Ying Li, who had ranked first in the illusion test, with admiration on his face.

He extended a hand and handed a piece of black brocade to Ying Li, smiling as he said, "Truly, the younger generation is formidable. This girl has achieved first place at such a young age. It seems that a new star is about to emerge in the Spirit Realm Continent!"

Ying Li looked at Cheng Bo's deceptive mask and took a step back. She wouldn't be easily fooled by appearances now. She stared at him with suspicion. There was nothing in the illusion, yet it still took her a whole day and night to escape. Yi Bicheng was nowhere to be found, and Ying Li hadn't seen a single one of the others who had entered the illusion at the same time! This bizarre illusion was definitely not a test at the manor; it was more like a disguised cage, locking everyone inside an energy field.

"What's wrong, little girl? Why aren't you accepting the prize for first place in the test?" Cheng Bo looked at Ying Li with a smile, his eyes full of inquiry and kindness. But Ying Li saw a hint of murderous intent in his eyes!

"You're not Cheng Bo, who are you?!" Ying Li's eyes were full of vigilance, and her spiritual power suddenly surged, forming a thick barrier between her and Cheng Bo.

When Cheng Bo heard Ying Li's question, his smile slowly shattered. He looked at Ying Li with a cold smile, and the flesh on his face began to rot. After a while, a skeleton without a trace of flesh suddenly appeared in front of Ying Li. "I am your final destination!" Cheng Bo roared and attacked Ying Li violently!