Late at night, other than the palace, the entire capital was dark.
Figures stood in the pavilions like ghosts. Their clothes fluttered in the wind. At a glance, there were at least a hundred people.
They suddenly disappeared from the eaves. That night, cries and screams sounded from all corners of the city, causing the entire capital to fall into uneasiness.
Overnight, 186 people had died. All of them were from the mansions of officials. Among the casualities were young masters, young misses, and servants.
Before dawn, the entire city began to search for the real culprit.
Jiang Changsheng, who was in Longqi Temple, heard some sharp cries from the city, but he was not curious enough to join in the fun.
The incident outside the mountain had nothing to do with him. If anyone dared to cause trouble on the mountain, they would never return!
Such days lasted for three days, and the capital was in turmoil. Everyone felt insecure.
In the capital's government office, Chen Li looked at the corpses in the hall and frowned.
A small official at the side said in a low voice, "Lord, the whereabouts of the demonic sect are secretive. This is not something our administrative office can interfere with. The strongest among us is only a first-rate expert, so we need to invite the White Guards."
Chen Li sighed and said, "You think I didn't invite them? The White Guards has rejected my request."
The low-ranking official was furious and indignantly said, "What do they mean? Right now, there are many casualties in the city. Since His Majesty is not here, the White-Robed Guards are unwilling to move. They are also receiving a salary. Ridiculous!"
Chen Li did not interrupt the low-ranking official. He was also furious, but now was not the time to be angry. He had to think of a way to stop the demonic sect's actions.
A constable on the side said, "My lord, according to the night watchman, there are at least a hundred people in the demonic sect. With so many people yet to be tracked down, I'm afraid…"
Chen Li glared at him and said angrily, "You think I don't know that?"
The constable was silent.
Chen Li continued to have a headache. Even if he were to turn a blind eye to the current situation, he would be the first to be questioned when the Emperor returned to the capital. After all, his duty was to protect the safety of the people.
"Too unbridled…"
Chen Li took a deep breath and stood up.
The low-ranking official hastily asked, "Lord, where are you going?"
Chen Li flicked his sleeves and said, "Since a first-rate expert cannot deal with the current situation, I shall invite a top expert!"
The low-ranking official and the constable looked at each other and smiled bitterly.
This lord was good in all aspects, but he was too upright!
The world was not black or white!
...
Under the night sky, the capital fell into silence.
Figures jumped quickly on the eaves. They were dressed in black with black scarves covering their faces, revealing only their eyes. All of them held swords and sharp weapons in their hands, and they were as light as swallows. Behind them was a white-robed person chasing after them with a sword in their hand.
The white-robed person wore a opera mask and wielded a sword with both hands. Looking at her posture, she should be a woman. She was extremely fast and flashed past like a swan. She quickly caught up to a black-robed man and slashed with her sword.
The black-robed man leaped to the side to dodge the sword, but his ankle was grabbed by the white-robed woman and was pulled back.
Pfft!
Under the moonlight, the sound of the blade penetrating flesh was so terrifying. Droplets of blood sprinkled on the eaves and fell on the street.
The men in black stopped one after another and quickly surrounded the woman in white.
The leader of the black-robed men held a large saber in his hand. His physique was as sturdy as an iron tower and was extremely domineering. He stared at the white-robed woman and coldly said, "Are the white-robed guards really going to interfere in this matter?"
The white-robed woman snorted and said, "The white robes of Great Jing protect the country and the people."
The burly man said in a deep voice, "Didn't your master tell you not to come out at night?"
The white-robed woman did not answer and suddenly attacked the burly man. The surrounding black-robed men immediately attacked. The white-robed woman's figure was like a ghost and her footwork was profound. It was as if she had split into several clones to dodge the swords and knives coming from all directions. She spun around and stabbed the burly man.
The burly man's eyes instantly turned fierce. He raised his saber with one hand and his true energy exploded like an explosion, forcing the white-robed woman back.
"Hmph, a top expert. No wonder you dared to stir up muddy water alone. In that case, I'll send you to your death!"
The burly man said with a murderous aura and raised his saber to kill the white-robed man.
On the other side.
In front of the gates of the palace.
Chen Li was escorted here by four bailiffs, but he was stopped by the palace guards.
He immediately took out a token and said, "This is the imperial token given to me by the Empress. I am eager to see the Empress."
One of the guards said expressionlessly, "The palace is closed tonight. No one is allowed to enter or leave the palace."
Hearing this, Chen Li was furious and angrily said, "Right now, the thieves in the capital are acting recklessly. His Majesty is not here, and the Empress can preside over the capital. If you stop me, everyone who dies tonight will blame you. When His Majesty comes back, not only will he be beheaded, but he will also execute your entire family!"
The guards frowned. The expressions of the other guards also changed, but they did not immediately move aside and continued to block.
No matter how Chen Li threatened them, they would not him through. Under Chen Li's orders, the four bailiffs began to break in.
"Impudent! Chen Li, you've trespassed the palace. Even if your uncle is the Minister of Revenue, you will still implicate your entire family!"
A shrill voice sounded, startling the four bailiffs into stopping. Chen Li's face also turned pale.
Eunuch Li, the head eunuch, came with his hands behind his back. He walked out from the darkness of the palace gates with a contemptuous smile on his face.
Chen Li gritted his teeth and said, "Eunuch Li, the situation is urgent. I'll have to trouble Eunuch Li to make an exception."
Eunuch Li calmly said, "Chen Li, there are no thieves in the capital. Don't talk nonsense. The Empress is going to sleep early tonight and must not be disturbed. Go back. Minister Chen has a good relationship with me, so let me remind you that fish and shrimps are not allowed to mess around in the lake. Be careful not to attract trouble."
When Chen Li heard that, his anger surged. He asked in a deep voice, "The conflict between the Yang Family and the Hong Family is so great that it can be concealed from His Majesty? The plague has yet to be eliminated, and hundreds of people have died in the city in just a few days. Throughout history, there has been peace and prosperity under the Emperor. How can there be such a ridiculous record?"
Eunuch Li's expression instantly turned ice-cold. Just as he was about to speak, a voice sounded from afar. He saw a white-robed woman running rapidly on the eaves, followed by dozens of black-robed men.
The white-robed woman landed on the ground and ran towards the palace gates. The group of black-robed men stopped and stood under the eaves.
The bright moon hung in the sky. Under the dim night sky, the people in black were like ghosts from the netherworld as they looked at the palace gates from afar.
The white-robed woman came to the gates of the palace. She only had a sword left, and her left arm was dripping with blood. It drooped naturally. It seemed like her injuries were very serious.
"Eunuch Li, the demonic sect is creating chaos. Please kill the evil thieves!"
The white-robed woman gritted her teeth and her voice trembled. It was obvious that she was at the end of her ropes.
Eunuch Li's expression did not change as he asked, "Where did this demonic sect come from? Where did these thieves come from?"
The white-robed woman trembled and fell into silence.
Chen Li's expression was gloomy. The four constables looked at the group of people in black in the distance in horror.
Eunuch Li looked around at the surrounding guards and said, "No one is allowed to enter the palace tonight. Regardless of their status, if anyone dares to let anyone go, their head will not be guaranteed!"
"Yes!"
The royal guards hastily responded, and all of them were extremely nervous.
Eunuch Li stared at the woman in white and said, "This White Guard left her post without permission, but I have no right to punish you. Please leave."
The white-robed woman straightened her back. With the mask on, no one could see her expression.
Chen Li took a deep breath and came to her. He said in a low voice, "If you still want to live, escape to Longqi Temple."
The white-robed man nodded slightly and turned to rush towards Longqi Temple.
As soon as she moved, the group of men in black chased after her, and they quickly disappeared into the night.
Eunuch Li revealed a spurious smile and said, "Longqi Temple? If Longqi Temple is destroyed tonight, you, Chen Li, will not be able to escape death. That is a place that His Majesty cares about."
Chen Li stared at him and said, "Longqi Temple might not be destroyed."
Eunuch Li smiled.
At that moment, a group of black crows flew over from the nearby city and headed in the direction the white-robed man had left. Under the night sky, the group of black crows flew with great momentum.
When Chen Li saw this scene, his expression changed drastically and he muttered, "The night crow flies in the sky… Devil Lord…"
Eunuch Li smiled and said, "I wonder if that immortal priest can stop him?"
Chen Li immediately turned around and ran. The four constables looked at each other but still chased after him.
"Ignorant fool."
Eunuch Li's expression was gloomy as he coldly snorted. He looked at Longqi Mountain in the distance, shook his head, and muttered, "What a pity."
He turned around and left, walking into the darkness with his hands behind his back.
...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Arrows tore through the night sky and flew towards the fleeing white-robed woman. She nimbly dodged them, but more blood spilled from her left arm.
As the white-robed woman fled, she was puzzled. "They seem to be chasing me here on purpose. They are not in a hurry to kill me."
Even though she was confused, she still tried her best to escape as she got closer and closer to the mountain.
When she arrived at the foot of Longqi Mountain, she stopped and turned to look at the group of people in black.
The men in black landed on the ground one after another, fifty feet away from her.
"Why aren't you running anymore?"
The burly man in the lead sneered and his words were filled with mockery.
The woman in white did not answer and just faced them in silence.
The two sides confronted each other, and for a moment, no one took action.
One of the men in black whispered, "Boss, are you still not going to attack?"
The burly man frowned and his eyes flickered.
At this moment, the white-robed woman said, "I see. The reason why you released me is to use me to ascend the mountain. Your goal is Longqi Temple, but Longqi Temple is under the protection of His Majesty. If you barge in, His Majesty will definitely investigate and endanger the master behind you. If I lead you up the mountain, Longqi Temple will suffer a calamity like a fish in the net. Their fate will be bad, right?"
The burly man snorted and said, "A dying person talks too much. Kill her."
As soon as he finished speaking, a black-robed man immediately rushed towards the white-robed woman with a blade.
The white-robed woman did not dodge. She felt helpless. It was not that she had deliberately waited, but she was exhausted from her severe injuries and could no longer go up the mountain. She wanted to scare them away, but she did not expect them to still attack.
The black-robed man raised his saber, wanting to chop off the white-robed woman's head.
Whoosh!
A sound tore through the night sky. Before anyone could react, a sword descended from the sky. The sword light flashed and the blade directly pierced through the black-robed man. Blood splattered as the black-robed man was nailed to the ground by the sword. His body convulsed and his eyes widened in fear and despair.
Everyone looked over and saw that the sword was stabbed through the back of the black-robed man. The sword trembled and released a clear cry.
This sword was the famous Taihang Sword!