In the northernmost part of Yuanzhou, there sat a dilapidated temple.
The incense had long since stopped burning, and the monks had moved away many years ago. Now, it was merely a place for wanderers to take temporary shelter from the rain.
Within the crumbling courtyard walls, the ground was overgrown with untended weeds. Two men dressed in tattered rags walked into the desolate main hall.
They came to a halt as they gazed up at the large Buddha statue that no longer received offerings.
Exchanging a quick look, they climbed the statue with remarkable agility and pried out the Buddha’s two eyeballs.
Immediately after, they hurried out of the hall, preparing to withdraw from the temple.
However, just then —
*Dong — Dong — Dong —*
The heavy, distant tolling of a bell echoed through the ruined temple.
The two men quickly looked toward the bell tower. With their excellent eyesight, they caught a glimpse of several figures vanishing rapidly from beside the ancient bell.
They knew their presence had been exposed; this was no place to linger.
But before they could speed up their departure, the sound of zither music drifted in from all directions.
The music was melodic and tranquil, like a mountain spring or a breeze through the forest. It felt as though listening to it for even a moment would heal one’s entire body and soul.
Yet in the next second, the tempo of the zither music suddenly shifted. It became violent and erratic, revealing layers of hidden killing intent.
In their peripheral vision, the two men suddenly saw several practitioners wielding blades and swords charging toward them.
Reacting instantly, they condensed thick Demonic Qi in their hands. With a few palm strikes, they “killed” the practitioners.
However, the practitioners they “killed” were not living people.
As they dissipated like flowing wind, they transformed into several fierce beasts and continued to pounce on the two men.
The two men responded calmly, destroying the wind phantoms that attacked them one after another.
Still, they were well aware that as long as the wind did not stop and the zither music continued, they would face an endless, ceaseless assault.
The music came from every direction, completely enveloping them. For a moment, it was impossible to determine the location of the musician.
Paradoxically, with just a slight turn of their bodies, they spotted the person playing the zither.
Clad in a green dress like the jade-colored waters of a lake, the woman sat perched on high with the ancient zither suspended over her lap.
Spiraling gusts of wind surrounded her, fluttering her hem and occasionally revealing her fair thighs hidden beneath.
The woman had long, slender fingers with distinct joints. Although her nails looked slightly unnatural, it was a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect picture.
Anyone who saw them would remark that these were the hands of a master zither player.
Her gentle green hair was tied into a single braid that draped over her shoulder.
This beauty with the dangerous hairstyle was none other than the Fourth Disciple of Among the Colorful Clouds and the pillar of the Fengqing Sect — the Child of the Wind God, Lü Qi.
Lü Qi appeared before the two men openly, making no attempt to hide her intentions.
Inheriting the fine tradition of her Master, Yu Yi, she spoke indifferently.
“State your names and prepare for my questioning. Otherwise, face the consequences.”
Down below in the main hall, the two men were quite surprised that Lü Qi would reveal herself so directly.
That surprise soon twisted into a sinister grin.
“Heh… Your zither music was surrounding us from all sides, and we were just worrying about how to find you. We didn’t expect you would actually dare to show yourself.”
“It seems it is time for you Righteous Sects to remember the fear of being ruled by our Demon Sect.”
The identities of these two men were anything but ordinary.
They were two of the Seven Apostles of the Demon Sect, a pair of twins named Guilong and Guisha.
The so-called Seven Apostles were the seven people the Holy Sovereign trusted most, second only to the Second Seat and the left and right guardians.
They were originally orphans raised by the Holy Sovereign since childhood, and they had mastered parts of the true Demonic Art.
Back then, the Holy Sovereign had adopted countless orphans, but only those whose bodies could withstand the erosion of the Demonic Art survived to adulthood.
The Seven Apostles were the only survivors among hundreds of orphans.
Although Guilong and Guisha were ranked low among the Seven Apostles — sitting at sixth and seventh — their cultivation had both reached the Martial King 4th Realm.
They were only slightly inferior to the Second Disciple of Among the Colorful Clouds, Blue Ling’er.
In their eyes, dealing with a zitherist who liked to play tricks but dared to expose her position was a simple task.
“My ability does not require me to hide my location. Regardless, in a moment, you will no longer be able to see me,” Lü Qi said softly.
She licked her lips, and her mouth twitched unnaturally. It was as if she had silently transformed into a completely different person.
“Well said. Since you are about to go to hell, we naturally won’t be seeing you anymore,” Guilong sneered.
He and Guisha moved simultaneously. Their figures blurred, and in less than half a breath, they had rushed to the top of the hall, standing just one step away from Lü Qi!
In that exact instant —
Gong, Shang, Jiao, Zheng, and Yu.
The zither played the five tones. Accompanied by a powerful gale, the sound waves swept toward Guilong and Guisha.
They instinctively closed their eyes, raising their arms to shield themselves from the wind.
When they opened their eyes again, they were horrified to find that Lü Qi had vanished without a trace, and their surroundings had undergone an earth-shattering change.
The ruined temple had transformed into an ancient Battlefield.
Broken Long Spears were thrust into the earth, and tattered banners fluttered feebly in the desolate wind.
As far as the eye could see, the ground was covered in mountains of corpses. Upon closer inspection, the faces of those corpses all belonged to Guilong and Guisha!
Then, they heard the sound of the zither in the wind.
Even as members of the Seven Apostles of the Demon Sect, the two could not help but feel their skin crawl.
The atmosphere suddenly fell into a heavy silence.
Amidst the calm, the zither music exuded an indescribable eeriness and gloom, as if some Demonic Creature was slowly awakening within the wind and song.
From not far away, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly approached.
Guilong and Guisha looked over at the same time, their eyes widening instantly.
Appearing before them were thousands of horses and soldiers!
“Hahahaha!! Hahahaha—!”
Accompanied by Lü Qi’s frenzied laughter, the previously calm zither music erupted completely.
A howling gale swept across the land like a horn of war, guiding the Iron Cavalry to charge toward Guilong and Guisha.
Only then did the two realize they had encountered an incredibly abnormal opponent — her abilities were abnormal, and she herself was even more insane!
A ridiculous thought even crossed their minds: ‘Just who is the one truly bringing the fear of the Demonic Path?’
“Nothing but smoke and mirrors!”
Cold sweat broke out on Guilong’s face. He condensed his vast Demonic Qi into a sharp Jian, preparing for battle.
However, the charging Iron Cavalry swung a massive blade. With a single slash, they severed both his sword and his arm!
“What…?!”
Guilong watched his severed arm fly into the air, trailing a long line of blood. He was momentarily stunned.
“Guisha! Help me, quick!”
After the brief shock, Guilong shouted desperately for help while struggling with the surrounding Iron Cavalry.
But Guisha did not respond.
“Guisha! What are you do—”
Guilong yelled in anxiety, but his voice cut off abruptly when he looked toward where Guisha had been.
Guisha had already been cut down, dead beneath the iron hooves.
“This… how is this possible?!” Guilong muttered under his breath.
Behind him, another massive blade was already swinging down with heavy force.