Chapter 216 : Ambush
Chapter 216: Ambush
Chen Ming and Zhou Yilan had once made an agreement: as long as people from the Nine Nether Sect came looking for her, she would immediately send someone to inform him…
However, in this world, plans never kept up with changes.
He did not panic, but instead asked in a deep voice, “What did they want from you?”
Deng Wei wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling, “They… they told me to think of a way at the beginning of noon, to pull out the Dragon-Sealing Needle from one of the First Grade prisoners.”
Yesterday, he had already given the Nine Nether Sect people the map of the Six Doors Authority and the prison according to Chen Ming’s instructions.
Chen Ming’s eyes narrowed slightly. These people from the Nine Nether Sect were truly deep schemers, actually planting a First Grade expert inside the prison beforehand.
He asked, “Which one?”
“The one surnamed Gan.”
Currently, in the prison, there were two First Grade prisoners—one surnamed Gan, and one surnamed Zhang.
Chen Ming quickly recalled the information about that Gan fellow. He had killed a core disciple of an Aristocratic Family, and was suspected of deliberately allowing himself to be caught, hiding in the prison to avoid disaster.
According to the Six Doors Authority’s past cases, killing a member of an Aristocratic Family usually did not mean a death sentence, at most exile.
So, hiding was just a façade; secretly working with the Nine Nether Sect was the true purpose!
Chen Ming asked again, “What time is it now?”
“A… about, about a quarter of an hour left.”
A quarter of an hour—about fifteen minutes.
Time was running out.
Just then, a sharp whistle came from outside. Even through an iron door, it could still be heard. The whistle was three long and one short, repeating over and over.
Deng Wei trembled and said, “M-my lord… they… they’ve broken in…”
Three long and one short meant enemies had broken through!
This prison was located behind the Six Doors Authority’s headquarters. In the five hundred years since the founding of Great Jin, this was the first time such a whistle had been blown inside the prison.
So fast!
From the whistle, Chen Ming roughly judged the whistler’s position—it was right at the entrance to the second level. He had no idea how they had broken in.
Suddenly, the whistle cut off. The fate of the whistler could be imagined.
From outside, Lei Chun and the others knocked on the door, their voices anxious, “My lord, something’s happening.”
Such a situation—not only had they never experienced it, they had never even heard of it.
The prison had been broken into. Could it be that the entire headquarters had already fallen?
With so many experts in the Six Doors Authority, could they all have been slaughtered?
No wonder they were panicking.
“Don’t panic.”
Chen Ming opened the door, looking over the four in front of him. From their expressions, he could not spot any flaws. “Prepare to face the enemy.”
Then, he turned his gaze to the Third Grade prisoner cowering in the corner. That man stayed silent, trying his best to lessen his presence, hoping nobody would notice him.
Unfortunately, his hopes were destined to fail.
Chen Ming drew his sword, coldly saying, “Count yourself unlucky.”
“My lord—”
The Third Grade prisoner’s face changed drastically. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, his throat was slit with one stroke, and he died on the spot.
【You have slain an LV75 enemy, gaining 300,000 experience points.】
In such a life-and-death moment, he could not care about much else. Naturally, he used every possible method to increase his strength.
With killing intent on his face, he ordered, “You all go hold the front line first. I’ll slaughter all the prisoners here, to eliminate future trouble.”
His subordinates, intimidated by his murderous aura, dared not disobey. They answered quickly and went to assist the wardens at the front.
……
【You have slain an LV76 enemy, gaining 320,000 experience points.】
【You have slain an LV78 enemy, gaining 360,000 experience points.】
【……】
Chen Ming killed his way forward. Amid the curses of the Third Grade prisoners, he slew all nine of them.
Pitiful—many of those Third Grade experts originally would not have had to die. But unfortunately, in this situation, they were all sacrificed to his blade.
Of course, anyone locked inside the Six Doors Authority’s prison was certainly guilty beyond pardon. The Great Jin laws might not sentence them to death, but that did not mean they did not deserve it.
After killing the last one, he saw his subordinates retreating alongside a group of wardens, step by step, until they reached his side.
“My lord, two Third Grade experts—we are no match!”
Zhang Dingce’s arm was injured, his face full of despair.
The others fared no better. Against two Third Grade experts, they could not hold them back, and had no choice but to ask him for help.
At this moment, the two men wearing Six Doors Authority uniforms also stopped, looking at Chen Ming with strange expressions. “You killed all the prisoners? Kid, you’re really ruthless!”
Originally, their mission had been to release the prisoners here, to stir chaos. They never expected that by the time they arrived, every prisoner would already be dead.
Chen Ming asked his subordinates, “Just these two?”
Lei Chun answered, “We’ve only seen these two.”
No, something was wrong.
Zhou Yilan had said that the Nine Nether Sect had at least three First Grade experts. Even if one had hidden inside the prison earlier, where were the other two?
Where had they gone?
……
At the Six Doors Authority, Zhou Yilan, with a guard, arrived at Ruan Caihong’s pavilion.
The guards recognized her and let her pass directly.
Once inside, the “guard” straightened his posture and smiled. “It’s thanks to Junior Sister’s help that we could come here so smoothly.”
Zhou Yilan’s face remained cold. “I have done what you asked. I hope you will keep your promise and spare Lang.”
The man leisurely said, “Junior Sister, you truly are devoted to your husband. But if Ruan Caihong turns into a demon cult monster that everyone wants to kill, do you think he’ll hate you?”
Zhou Yilan was both shocked and angry. “You… you dare… to slander him like this…”
The man laughed. “My dear Junior Sister, you still don’t understand? The reason he is in this position today is all because of you!
“You two were never from the same world, yet you insisted on marrying him. You not only ruined yourself, but also him. Back then, your talent was far above the three of us, yet all you cared about was love. Now we’ve left you far behind. If not for your neglect of training all these years, would you be where you are today?”
Zhou Yilan’s face grew paler. She trembled as she asked, “Where… where is Senior Brother?”
“Guess?” The man looked at her expression, his eyes full of delight. “Speaking of which, Senior Brother’s life-bound treasure was found by you for him, wasn’t it? A rare treasure, the Mirage Pearl. With it, Senior Brother can change into countless forms. At this moment, he should have transformed into Ruan Caihong’s appearance and gone to kill Hong Yuze.”
“You—”
Zhou Yilan felt her limbs go cold, as if she had fallen into an ice pit.
If Senior Brother, in front of everyone, turned into “Ruan Caihong” and killed Hong Yuze, then her husband could never clear his name.
Murdering a First Grade Inspector of the Six Doors Authority—even the Ruan Family could not protect him.
Moreover, her husband had already quarreled with the Ruan Family.
After that, under heaven, there would be no place for him.
The man suddenly shouted, “Zhou Yilan, have you forgotten? If not for Hong Yuze covering for that Zhu fellow, would Master have died with regrets? He is our enemy! You once swore to kill him one day to avenge Master—have you forgotten?”
“Now Senior Brother is going to kill him, and you look like your father just died? If Master could see you like this in the Yellow Springs, he would die a second time from anger!”
Hearing her dead father mentioned, Zhou Yilan screamed, “Stop it!”
“Stop it—” Her composure completely collapsed. That cry seemed to drain all her strength, and she slumped against the wall, tears streaming down.
At this time, the man finally found what he was looking for. Clutching it tightly, he looked at Zhou Yilan and said, “Junior Sister, do you know? All these years, I’ve hated you.
“It was you who dragged the three of us into cultivating that demonic art, onto this path of no return. But ever since you met Ruan Caihong, you changed. You only wanted to fly away with him, leaving us behind.
“Now, your husband has also become, like us, a demon cult monster hunted by all.
“Junior Sister, don’t think you can abandon us and live a happy life alone. Hahahaha…”
Looking at his manic laughter, Zhou Yilan painfully closed her eyes.
She thought again of that stormy night when she had found the ancestral inheritance her father spoke of before his death, and within it, the Nine Nether Grand Art. Resolutely, she had dragged her three Senior Brothers along to cultivate it, stepping onto a path of no return.
……
……
“Nine Nether Sect?”
Hearing the name, Hong Yuze’s head throbbed. It meant enormous trouble. He truly did not want to get involved in something this dangerous.
He was already in his eighties, only wanting to live out his last years peacefully. At ninety, he would resign, then return to his hometown to enjoy old age.
He had no interest in meritorious deeds, nor in the Eternal Life Sect, nor in the Nine Nether Sect.
But with Lord Zhong in seclusion, and his two ambitious colleagues off in Wanlei City’s Secret Realm searching for the chance to open a Divine Repository, he had no choice.
And now, standing before him was a disciple of Heaven’s Path Alliance—he could not refuse. He could only brace himself and say, “The Six Doors Authority is full of experts. As long as we strengthen defenses, the Nine Nether Sect won’t dare attack.”
As he spoke, someone suddenly burst in—it was Ruan Caihong.
Hong Yuze looked as if he had seen a savior. “Lord Ruan, you came just in time—”
Ruan Caihong cut him off, “Lord Hong, something has happened!”
“You know too?”
Hong Yuze was surprised. Ruan Caihong was notorious for indifference, yet even he knew? Then it must be true.
After several centuries, disciples of the Nine Nether Sect had resurfaced.
He decided instantly, “This matter must be reported to Lord Zhong at once, and let him decide!”
“Lord Hong, listen to me first.”
Ruan Caihong lunged forward, grabbing him.
“Lord Ruan—”
Suddenly, Hong Yuze felt a chill in his chest. He had been ambushed!
A short sword was already lodged in his chest.
This turn of events was too sudden, beyond anyone’s expectations.