Mo Bai had barely finished speaking when the figure in black reappeared atop the courtyard wall. The wind gently lifted the hem of his clothes as he rested the giant saber on his shoulder, slightly bent over, and looked down at the two people below.
No, at one person. He only looked at Su Baiyi, sizing him up from head to toe, as if Mo Bai didn’t even exist.
Mo Bai, however, was so terrified that he couldn’t even speak. He was a direct disciple of the Confucian Sage, and although he ultimately didn’t achieve the rank of gentleman, he had been considered exceptionally talented during his time at the academy. Yet, facing this person, all his pride and courage vanished in an instant.
Su Baiyi looked up to meet the man’s gaze. The man appeared to be in his thirties, and would have been considered handsome if not for a long scar that ran from his left eyebrow to the corner of his mouth, giving him a somewhat frightening appearance. The man smiled at Su Baiyi, and Su Baiyi smiled back.
“It’s nothing, I’m just here to take a look at you.” The man said slowly.
Su Baiyi nodded. “And what can you see?”
“Your senior disciple is so scared he can barely stand, yet you remain calm. This composure alone is worthy of the surname Su.” The man straightened up. “I think we’ll meet again soon.” With that, he turned and finally left.
Su Baiyi slowly exhaled. “I don’t even know who you are, so of course I’m not afraid. Senior brother, who is this person?”
“Devil City Lord, Ten Thousand Cuts and Thousand Blades,” Mo Bai replied, enunciating each word deliberately.
“Devil City?” Su Baiyi suddenly recalled the woman he had encountered while rescuing Qing Yilang had also mentioned this name. He thought to himself that his guess at the time was correct; the people from Devil City indeed looked fierce and menacing.
“You don’t know about Devil City?” Mo Bai looked at Su Baiyi’s expression and exclaimed.
Su Baiyi scratched his head. “I’ve heard bits and pieces. They’re not good people, right?”
“It’s not that simple,” Mo Bai finally recovered his composure. “There are indeed many evil sects in the martial world, and the conflict between good and evil has been an unchanging fact for thousands of years. But Devil City is different. It exists between good and evil, making it difficult to define. Devil City specifically takes in villains who intend to put down their butcher’s knives and turn over a new leaf. The city has a rule: all villains who enter the city will receive its protection, but if they commit any further evil deeds after entering, they will be immediately executed. In other words, all the villains in the world have one chance to seek refuge in Devil City. However, the Devil City Lord has a peculiar personality, and not all villains can gain his approval and be deemed worth saving.”
Su Baiyi seemed to understand. The woman he met that day must have sought refuge in Devil City, but unfortunately, they didn’t come to her aid. “Then this Devil City is quite interesting. Senior brother Mo Bai, what are you so afraid of?”
“Devil City acts erratically. Logically, villains should be punished for their evil deeds, so the existence of Devil City isn’t reasonable. However, the Devil City Lord’s swordsmanship is unparalleled, and he has never been defeated since entering the martial world. He once said that he decides what is evil because he is the number one demon in the world. Such a person, if displeased, could kill us all without hesitation.” Mo Bai sighed.
“Never been defeated? Then how did he get the scar on his face?” Su Baiyi asked, puzzled.
“Spear King Changsun Lihen, who was once ranked fifth on the Heavenly Martial Rankings, fought him. His final spear strike nearly split his face in two.” Mo Bai paused, then continued, “But the hand Changsun Lihen used to wield the spear was sliced down to the bone by his ‘Thousand Cuts’ technique.”
“Wow,” Su Baiyi gasped.
The backyard of Moran Manor.
A series of rather undignified moans could be heard.
“Feels good… ah, feels good. So good.”
“I’ve ascended to heaven, I’ve ascended to heaven, I’ve ascended to heaven.”
“Oooooh, hot, hot, hot! Burning, burning, burning! Oh my, oh my, so good, so good!”
Inside the room, two massive wooden tubs were placed. Feng Zuojun lay in one of them, eyes closed, seemingly so comfortable that he was about to ascend to heaven.
“Shut up!” Xie Yuling, unable to bear it any longer, threw a towel hanging on the side of the tub at him.
Feng Zuojun reached out, caught the towel, and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Thanks.”
“Your father’s position as the sect leader has been usurped, and you were saying how anxious you were before. But now that we’re in Yunmeng Prefecture, you don’t seem worried at all, and you even have the leisure to take a bath!” Xie Yuling scolded.
Feng Zuojun waved his hand dismissively. “Hey, hey, hey, my nervousness was all an act, just so I could get away from the academy quickly. You don’t know my uncles from the Feng family, they’re all useless. They could never defeat my father. There must be something fishy going on, my father must have a plan.”
“That confident, huh?” Xie Yuling scoffed.
Feng Zuojun stood up, dried himself with the towel, put on a fresh robe that had just been delivered, and pushed open the door to the courtyard. He shouted, “Come and see, come and see! The third young master of the Jiangnan Xie family is taking a bath! A handsome young gentleman, a radiant youth! Everyone come and see, come and see!”
Xie Yuling stood up angrily, reaching for the towel to dry himself. But the only one they had, Feng Zuojun had already taken. He had no choice but to sit back down. “Feng Zuojun, are you bored or what?”
Feng Zuojun’s shouts in the courtyard attracted many maids and female servants to come and watch the commotion. Xie Yuling shrank back into the bathtub, closing his eyes in embarrassment.
“Senior brothers, haven’t seen you for a few days, and your relationship has become so good?” Su Baiyi walked into the courtyard with a smile, looking at the excited Feng Zuojun.
“Ah, Junior Brother Su!” Feng Zuojun rushed over to hug Su Baiyi. “I’m so glad to see you’re alright. Where’s Senior Sister? Take me to her quickly, I miss her so much.”
“Right here,” a gentle voice came from the room next to them. Just as Feng Zuojun was about to walk over, Nangong Xier pushed open the door and stepped out. “I’ve been listening to your ridiculous moans and groans for a while now.”
Feng Zuojun blushed slightly. “So Senior Sister was right next door, and Senior Brother Mo Bai didn’t even tell me. It was all Xie Yuling making those noises just now.”
“Senior Sister!” Xie Yuling called out urgently from inside the room upon hearing Nangong Xier’s voice.
“What’s the matter?” Nangong Xier asked.
“Feng Zuojun took the towel!” Xie Yuling said helplessly.
Nangong Xier glanced at Su Baiyi, who understood the unspoken message. He went into the room and retrieved the towel that Feng Zuojun had hung on the door. Xie Yuling took the towel and nodded gratefully at Su Baiyi. Su Baiyi paused for a moment, sensing that something about Xie Yuling had changed.
The old Xie Yuling was like a sword already drawn, his sharpness evident to both friend and foe. But the current Xie Yuling, while still sharp, had mellowed considerably.
“Senior brother, you’ve changed,” Su Baiyi said with a smile.
Xie Yuling took the towel, his tone as indifferent as ever. “Whether I’ve changed or not, could you please close the door for me? I need to dry off.”