Ch. 436 - Three People Die

The man on the right was a middle-aged man.

He wore a white robe, with his long hair tied up in a topknot behind him.

Sitting on a stone bench, his robe draped over it completely, his gaze carried an invisible pressure.

“The cult has been restless lately,” said the old man in the green robe, placing down a black chess piece with a smile.

“Unnecessary meddling,” the white-robed man snorted coldly.

“You heard about what happened in Tranquil Heaven City?” the old man asked with a grin.

“With such a big commotion, it’s hard not to,” the white-robed man said with a slight frown.

“Now that the Phoenix Perch Empire is on alert, the Empire’s hunt for our cult members has only intensified.”

“You’ll get used to it. But what about those people? Sending them to the Empire’s capital isn’t good for us,” the old man said flatly.

“Every step now is critical. There can’t be any mistakes.”

“What do you think we should do, Elder Qing?” the white-robed man asked after some thought.

“Make sure they don’t reach the capital,” the green-robed elder said with a chuckle, placing down another piece.

“I have my own plan,” the white-robed man said, shaking his head slightly.

…………

Phoenix Cry City lay north of Tranquil Heaven City.

Legend has it that after a divine phoenix successfully passed its tribulation, it flew here, cried three times, and ascended to immortality.

That’s how the story goes.

So, when the Phoenix Perch Empire was founded, this place was named Phoenix Cry City.

The phoenix cries to the heavens and becomes immortal!

When Xu Zimo and the others arrived in Phoenix Cry City escorting the three black-robed cult members, seven days had already passed.

The group was worn from travel.

The Yellow Division had been interrogating the three the entire way, but the black-robed men remained tight-lipped.

The ancient city walls stood tall on the land.

The blue-brown walls were damaged in several places. At a closer look, it was clear this city was quite old.

A bit rundown.

The city gates were wide open. Four people were sweeping by the gate, and citizens moved in and out, making the scene lively.

It was noon, and with summer approaching, the sun was hot.

The group entered through the gate.

“Hold it,” just as they reached the entrance, soldiers on both sides stopped them.

“There’s an entrance fee,” the soldier on the left said indifferently.

“Who made that rule?” Yellow Star asked coldly.

“I’ve never heard of such a thing in the Phoenix Perch Empire.”

“Who made it doesn’t matter. If you don’t pay, you don’t go in,” the soldier replied flatly.

“You!” Yellow Star was about to act when Yellow Sun quickly stopped him.

“We’ll pay,” Yellow Sun said with a smile, handing over a spirit stone.

The soldier took it and nodded in satisfaction.

Most people paid with silver, but a spirit stone meant extra for him to pocket.

“Go in. Don’t cause trouble in the city,” the soldier said as he tucked the stone away.

…………

After entering the city, Yellow Star couldn’t help but ask Yellow Sun, “Big brother, why’d you stop me just now? A lowly guard dares to charge an entrance fee? Lawless.”

“If even a lowly guard dares to do this, then who do you think is behind it?” Yellow Sun asked in return.

“You mean... the city lord?” Yellow Star immediately understood.

The Yellow Division was one of the seven imperial divisions.

They wielded enormous power in the Empire, representing the emperor during their inspections.

They even had the authority to act first and report later.

Especially someone like Yellow Star, who couldn’t tolerate injustice.

“This isn’t something we can conclude yet,” Yellow Sun said calmly.

“We can ask around for a few days. Once we’re back in the capital, we’ll report it to the emperor. Right now, our priority is escorting these three cult members without any incidents. Someone may try to rescue them on the way.”

“I understand,” Yellow Star nodded.

They booked several rooms at an inn.

Xu Zimo stayed in a room alone. So did Yellow Moon.

Yellow Sun and Yellow Star shared a room to guard the three cultists.

Back in his room, Xu Zimo focused on studying the Ten Forms of Demon, as well as researching the map that featured the Solar-Illumination’s shadow.

The map was from before the Primordial Heartlands had fractured, so many of its locations no longer matched up with the current geography.

The Dao is boundless, it can be infinitely vast or infinitely small.

Xu Zimo found that the Ten Forms of Demon seemed tailor-made for him. His understanding flowed easily and quickly.

After dinner, night fell over Phoenix Cry City.

Though it was a large city, it had grown worn and somewhat fallen into decline due to age and neglect.

A soft early-summer breeze blew through the streets.

As Xu Zimo was meditating, a loud boom came from the neighboring room.

That room belonged to Yellow Sun and Yellow Star.

He rushed over to check.

Everyone was still there and safe, but the roof appeared to have been blasted open.

“What happened?” Xu Zimo asked as he entered.

Yellow Moon had also arrived in a hurry, already dressed.

“Someone tried to kill these three,” Yellow Sun said, pointing to the bound black-robed men with a grim expression.

“Looks like the Heretic God Cult,” Xu Zimo said.

“Be on alert. Tonight’s not going to be peaceful,” Yellow Sun nodded, looking serious.

The cult’s strength was beyond what he’d expected.

They recruited quickly, had many talented individuals, and were extremely mysterious.

Truly a major threat to the Phoenix Perch Empire.

Xu Zimo shook his head slightly and returned to his room.

Night deepened. A watchman walked the streets, knocking his wooden clapper, calling out for peace in Tranquil Heaven.

Xu Zimo felt his door slowly open.

A figure slipped inside, approaching his bed.

Since he was sitting cross-legged in meditation, the moment he opened his eyes, he saw a black shadow flash before him.

The figure fled quickly.

As Xu Zimo gave chase out the door, he found Yellow Star and Yellow Sun had also emerged.

“Someone snuck into your room?” Yellow Star asked urgently.

Xu Zimo nodded, eyes locked ahead, several black shadows were darting across the rooftops.

Yellow Moon also emerged from a nearby room. Seeing the scene, she said,

“You guys go after them. I’ll stay here to guard the three.”

Yellow Star and Yellow Sun didn’t argue. “Take care,” they said before dashing off.

Xu Zimo nodded slightly and followed them in pursuit.

…………

They gave chase quickly. There were over a dozen figures ahead, but Xu Zimo could tell their cultivation wasn’t very high.

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