Fairy Xuan Die smiled softly as she pointed one finger at the middle-aged man.
It was a fair and delicate finger, looking like a little scallion that had just been peeled and washed, harmless on consumption. But, the middle-aged man's mount shattered into pieces with the pointing of the finger; all of its flesh, tendons, bones, everything was ripped into the tiniest particles. Then, they wiggled and swirled up in the air, transforming into tens of thousands of thumb-sized butterflies that flew gracefully into all directions.
In just a blink of an eye, the butterflies had blanketed half of the Six Rivers City. Gracefully they landed on the body of the residences in the city, giving each of them a gentle bite. The people collapsed to the ground from the bite, and the butterflies sucked all their blood essence away, leaving behind only a sheet of paper-thin skin and clothes on the ground.
A single strike had turned half of the Six Rivers City into a ghost town. Fairy Xuan Die clapped her hands lightly, and all the tens of thousands of butterflies fluttered back to her. One after another, they spat a glittering blood pearl on her palm, the blood essence of the people they had killed. After she had all the pearls, she clasped them between her palms, merging them into a fist-sized pearl that was formed entirely from blood essences.
"My husband, you need some blood essence to heal your wounds!" Fairy Xuan Die said tenderly as she handed the blood peal to Reverend Li Yang.
Reverend Li Yang laughed hideously as he gave the transfixed people around him a glance. He received the blood pearl and swallowed it. His neck swelled up as the pearl went into his throat, then slid down quickly and went straight into his stomach. Faint rumbling could be heard coming from his abdomen, and in just a few breaths of time, a slight redness had returned to his pale face.
Wu Qi shook his head as he turned to look at Zhang Yi and Bai Qi, whose faces were unsightly. "I found the Seniors in a barren mountain outside the city not long ago." He said with a long sigh. "They are severely wounded and need a safe place to recuperate, and can use some energy stones and immortal stones. Unfortunately, I lost all my belongings after an unexpected meeting with some formidable foes!"
He laughed strangely and continued, "It seems to me that fellow Daoists have occupied this Six Rivers City, haven't you? I'll have to trouble you for the energy stones and immortal stones!"
The middle-aged man had fallen down to the ground. As he stared blankly at the smiling Fairy Xuan Die, he suddenly cried out in a hoarse voice, "You demons! How dare you wantonly massacre the people of Great Yu? You better surrender right now and follow me to see the Prefecture Overseer. Admit your mistake and ask for punishments, and he might spare you a broken soul to enter transmigration! If you refuse to realize your sin, all of you will die an ignominious death once the army of Great Yu is here!"
Fairy Xuan Die smiled gently and said to Zhang Yi, "Fellow Daoist, I loathe to kill all the people here."
Zhang Yi shuddered. He spent some time to reflect on the attack launched by Fairy Xuan Die just now, and realized that even if he joined forces with Bai Qi, they would not be her match. He smiled bitterly and gave Bai Qi a signal with his eyes. Clenching his jaw tightly, Bai Qi went to the middle-aged man and gave him two fierce kicks. "Shut up, Yuan Fang! If you don't want your wife and children to be put to death by having their bodies dismembered, do as you are told!"
As the flame of anger rose in his heart, Bai Qi thrust his feet and gave Yuan Fang a third kick in the face, pushing his head against the floor and then finishing with a few more stamps. "Six Rivers City would never have had to suffer this disaster if you had not willfully offended the Senior!" he bellowed frustratingly.
Fairy Xuan Die had a gentle smile like that of a girl next door, charming and dazzling like the flowers that bloomed in the spring. However, it was clear to all those who were present that behind the gentle smile of this lady hid the venomous fangs of a cobra, a deadly bite that could kill in an instant.
Yuan Fang, the City Lord of Six Rivers City who had just sent half of the people in the city to death with his words, laid feebly on the ground as if his parents had just passed away, staring dully at the smiling Fairy Xuan Die. Wu Qi could not help but take pity on this poor fellow. He was already having a hard time after being controlled by Zhang Yi and Bai Qi, yet now, he had to face the two murderous figures who Wu Qi had brought here. It seemed he had been followed by bad luck recently.
But, when Wu Qi looked at Zhang Yi and Bai Qi, who shared the same unsightly expression, his mood became better all of a sudden. 'Mm, although Yuan Fang is down on luck, Zhang Yi and Bai Qi are no better than him.' Judging from what he had seen, this Six Rivers City was the stronghold which Great Qin had acquired on Pangu Continent. Now, by bringing two murderous figures to this city, he reckoned that the both of them must be boiling with rage.
He laughed and took a few steps forward, facing Zhang Yi. "Old Mister Zhang Yi, as our Seniors here are severely wounded, I think it is better for us to find a clean place for them to stay! Also, please try your best to bring as many energy stones and immortal stones to them! Aye, why are you glaring at me? No matter what you are thinking about, nothing matters before the safety of our Seniors. Go on, go make all the necessary arrangements that you should!"
Seeing how Wu Qi shamelessly used the two mighty Immortals as his backing, Zhang Yi and Bai Qi were so angry that they nearly coughed blood. Zhang Yi gave him a fierce glare and said in a deep voice, "Somebody, clean up the City Lord Mansion as soon as possible and show our Seniors the way. Bring every energy stone and item of similar effects to them, as well as all the spirit herbs in the storehouse that they might need."
Reverend Li Yang held his head up high in an arrogant manner while Fairy Xuan Die offered Zhang Yi a graceful bow and said, "I appreciate your kindness, fellow Daoists! During these days, as long as you don't go further than ten thousand miles from this city, none of you will have to worry about the safety of your life!"
She smiled faintly and continued, "Also, never try to use voice transmission arrays and voice transmission talismans, as those are completely useless when I am around you! All the official papers will have to go through me before they can be sent out. Should any of you try to play little tricks behind me, don't blame me for being merciless... If truth be told, I'm a softhearted lady, and I hate to commit murder!"
Zhang Yi and Bai Qi had their faces turned dark, pretending they had never heard what Fairy Xuan Die had said in the latter part of her speech. Could a lady who had just killed tens of thousands of people with one casual strike be considered a softhearted lady? Even Bai Qi, a formidable warrior who had committed innumerable murders, cutting men down like hemp stalks, could never assume such a carefree manner.
After some moments, the not-so-large City Lord Mansion was finally tidied up and cleansed. They let Reverend Li Yang and Fairy Xuan Die stay in an abode built inside the backyard, which was the quietest and had the most beautiful scenery. They had also given them dozens of maidservants, and sent numerous energy stones, immortal stones, spirit herbs, and fine delicacies, the best of the best they could find in Six Rivers City, into the abode.
Fairy Xuan Die supported her words with action, unleashing tens of thousands of butterflies and making them wheel and dance around the Six Rivers City, putting her eyes in every corner. Just the city alone was heavily guarded by ten thousand butterflies which flew restlessly in the sky. When the sunlight shone through their wings, a rainbow light was cast into the city. Although it looked beautiful, it made everyone feel difficulty in breathing, as if there were a heavy mountain pressing against their heart.
The dummy City Lord of Six Rivers City, Yuan Fang, stood in a daze at a corner inside the great hall of the City Lord Mansion. He looked as if he was thinking about something. However, none that were present in the hall would try to guess what he was thinking. In the cruel world of cultivators, a weak existence such as him was always the target of the bullying, and nobody would feel pity for him.
The big chair that was placed at the far end of the great hall was emptied. Wu Qi seated himself on a smaller chair placed to the left of it, facing Zhang Yi and Bai Qi, who sat across him. He stared at them smilingly, but the duo was looking at him with glances so fierce as if they would leap onto him in the next moment, devouring him alive and dumping him into the latrine pit.
"Well, you don't have to stare at me with that grumpy look!" Wu Qi sighed helplessly, pulling Ao Buzun off his shoulder and coiling the little dragon around his finger, just like a little kid playing with an earthworm.
Bai Qi gnashed his teeth in anger and said, "Why are you here? Everything was going well before you came!"
Spreading his arms, Wu Qi turned to look at Bai Qi with an innocent face and a bitter smile as he said, "It is truly an accident! I had no idea that you were here. By chance I came to this place and was robbed by the two Seniors who forced me to serve them. So, I brought them here, having no knowledge that you had secretly controlled this city!"
Zhang Yi was so angry that his body shivered. He pointed one finger at Wu Qi and scolded, "Pangu Continent is a massive land with countless places where you can go. So, why are you here? Do you have any idea how much efforts we have poured in to control Six Rivers City? Not only do we have to control it in the dark so the people and officials of Mu Province have no knowledge about it, we also have to develop our strength in secret! Do you think it is an easy task?"
Wu Qi felt as if he were treated unjustly. He stared at Zhang Yi with a bitter smile, breathed out a helpless sigh, and said, "I've not done this on purpose! You are right that Pangu Continent is a massive land, and I randomly picked a direction to flee. How would I know that I would run into both of you?"
They exchanged glances for a while, and nobody spoke a word. At last, Wu Qi said, "Well, you just have to serve them with care. Some formidable foes are hunting them right now, and they are like birds who will be startled by the mere twang of a bowstring. Any of your unusual behavior will bring a fatal disaster! Aye, it is even possible that they are listening to our conversation now! I reckon they are at least Gold Immortals. With our overall strength, we have no other choice but to serve them the best!"
Finally, both Zhang Yi and Bai Qi breathed out a helpless sigh, leaning their backs feebly on the chairs.
In the abode, Reverend Li Yang and Fairy Xuan Die nodded satisfyingly together. "This Daoist Black Dragon is a wise man," Reverend Li Yang said with a smile on his face. "Mm, why don't we just let him control the Six Rivers City while we are here? We really need a safe place to rest and nurse our wounds!"
Fairy Xuan Die nodded while smiling. Suddenly, blood oozed out from her seven apertures as she coughed violently and said, "We need time to heal... As long as I can have thirty percent of my power restored, I'll be able to bring you out of here... I don't even have the strength to strike right now! We have to... have to hold them in awe. Otherwise, it will be a fatal disaster for you and me!"
Reverend Li Yang's facial muscles twitched as he stared at Fairy Xuan Die, who had fallen down to the bed and could not move even a bit. He breathed out a long sigh.
Suddenly, Reverend Li Yang's voice rang out in the great hall where Wu Qi, Zhang Yi, and Bai Qi were having a council, "From today onwards, Daoist Black Dragon will act as our representative in Six Rivers City. Those who disobey his command will be punished with death! Daoist Black Dragon, here are three Gold Immortal talismans. Use them to defend yourself!"
Three glittering immortal talismans emerged out of nowhere and fell down into Wu Qi's palm. He received them with great respect, rose to his feet, and bowed deeply towards the direction of the backyard.
At that moment, Zhang Yi and Bai Qi's faces turned extremely ugly.