Chiyan Mountain was located in the northern part of the Zhouqing Kingdom. The mountain was neither particularly large nor did it feature any unique or dangerous landscapes. However, at this moment, the mountain was teeming with armored soldiers moving swiftly, their faces grim, and even the generals of Zhouqing passing by looked particularly unpleasant, tinged with a hint of fear.
They hurried about, patrolling the surrounding hidden areas, seemingly searching for something.
"Notify the generals guarding the outskirts of Chiyan Mountain to hold the mountain passes firmly. If that person escapes, not only will they pay the price, but even we will be slaughtered by the strong warriors of the Great Fu Kingdom!" a Zhouqing general, dressed in brown light armor and carrying a long saber, instructed his attendants in a deep voice.
Another Zhouqing general, dressed similarly and likely of equal rank, wore an expression of fury. His face, which was already flushed, now appeared even more red.
"Utterly useless! With so many people, no one noticed when that thief infiltrated! He killed seven of the Great Fu overseers in an instant! What are we going to do now? If we don't catch the murderer, all of Zhouqing's efforts over the past six months will be in vain!" the red-faced general fumed.
The first Zhouqing general's face darkened as he spoke: "In vain? You're thinking too simply. If Zhouqing cannot give the Great Fu Kingdom an explanation, we will have to pay a heavy price. Many people will die."
He narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth as he said, "And the first to die, the ones to die the fastest, will be you and me."
The red-faced general's eyelids twitched violently. He kicked one of his attendants to the ground, yelling, "What are you standing there for? Go and notify all the mid-level generals! If we don't catch the killer, they'll have to bring their heads to see me!"
The attendant scrambled away in a hurry.
Just as the two generals were about to speak again, suddenly, the air around them distorted, and a figure appeared before them.
A young woman in red appeared out of nowhere, her face radiant with an air of heroic beauty. Her figure was slender and graceful, and a small red symbol, resembling cinnabar, between her brows glowed with shifting, colorful light. She was an exceptionally mesmerizing sight.
However, when she appeared in front of the two Zhouqing generals, their faces trembled, and sweat dripped from their cheeks.
"Lord Shi Yu..." one of the generals hastily knelt down on one knee in greeting. His voice trembled as he spoke. "The troops have already been dispatched, and a thorough search is underway. We believe we will—"
"Did you get a good look at the murderer?" interrupted the young woman, Shi Yu, her tone blunt and stiff.
The Zhouqing general, who had been interrupted, lowered his head even further, his voice meek. "The killer is a powerful practitioner, and he's not far from the Sky Barrier. He struck quickly and decisively, killing seven of the overseers in just a few breaths. The man was wrapped in green clothing and wore a mask, so…"
Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Yu, perhaps unwilling to hear more, lightly raised her index finger toward him. A surge of spiritual energy from the symbol between her brows flowed into her fingertip, and a red beam shot out, instantly piercing the general's forehead.
The general fell dead without even twitching.
The remaining red-faced general turned pale, his once-flushed face now turning a sickly white. Fear shone in his eyes as he looked at Shi Yu.
Shi Yu shifted her gaze and searched around, saying coldly, "Go and inform the generals of Zhouqing—if you fail to catch the murderer, this man will be a warning for all of you."
The red-faced general nodded repeatedly, stumbling as he rose and hurried off.
As the nearby Zhouqing people scattered, the air around Shi Yu twisted again, and a middle-aged man dressed in gray appeared mysteriously beside her.
Shi Yu turned to him and asked, "Have you discovered anything?"
The middle-aged man's eyes flickered with an odd light, but his expression remained calm. "It's strange. My Symbol Eyes can't detect anything. It's as if the person just disappeared into thin air."
"Your Symbol Eyes have always been flawless. Perhaps the assassin is using some special treasure to cover his presence," Shi Yu frowned slightly.
"But why go through such elaborate means to kill a few overseers? Most of them aren't even from the Great Fu bloodline. Was it really necessary?" the middle-aged man asked.
Shi Yu glanced at him before explaining, "The Great Fu Kingdom is a giant in the eyes of these small countries. Every move we make carries weight. If we let this go easily, their fear of us will diminish."
The middle-aged man shook his head, looking at Shi Yu with a knowing expression. "Princess, Zhong Lin isn't stupid. These small countries will never lose their fear of the Great Fu, no matter what happens. And even if they did lose their fear, so what? We can just destroy them. Why waste time on this and delay the mining progress? It will only anger the Lord."
Shi Yu looked at Zhong Lin in surprise, her eyes widening as she smiled. "You think I'm doing this just for fun, don't you?"
"Maybe the princess just wanted to experience what it feels like to control a nation's life and death," Zhong Lin replied with a smirk.
Shi Yu was taken aback by Zhong Lin's accuracy, her anger flaring but quickly suppressing it. She turned her attention back to Zhouqing, coldly saying, "No matter what, if Zhouqing cannot give me an explanation, they will understand what fear truly means."
Not far from them, there was a patch of black, foul-smelling quagmire that seemed to have always been there, without any disturbances or strange features.
As Shi Yu and Zhong Lin passed by, they sealed their noses against the stench, which made them uncomfortable.
After they had gone, the quagmire suddenly began to change. The black sludge eerily rose up, congealing together to form a humanoid shape.
Soon, the details of the figure were revealed—it was a man dressed in green.
He was completely enveloped in green—green clothing, gloves, and a mask. However, the green gloves were stained with many dark black marks.
That was the black blood of the Great Fu people, mingled with the green and red blood, now coagulating into darkened scabs.
"If those two powerful beings were present at that time, I would've been killed the moment I acted," the green-clad man thought, still feeling the lingering fear. Even after turning into the quagmire, the overwhelming pressure from the two powerful beings of the Great Fu Kingdom could still be felt.
"I wonder if the Lord has sent my letter," he thought, recalling the white-robed young woman.
He shook his head to dispel the thought, his face hidden behind the mask, preventing anyone from guessing his emotions.
"Mon Gui is from Tai Cang. Even if I turn into this foul-smelling quagmire, I will still fight for a flawless future for Tai Cang."
With that resolve in his heart, he disappeared into the distance, his back one of solitary courage, undaunted.