The Master and His Wealthy Fiancée

Six more figures in black cloaks, each carrying a lantern, filed into the cavern's main hall.

There were now thirty-three cloaked figures in total.

A stone door slid open, and two bare-chested, masked men walked out.

One of the men spoke with a strange smile, "Leave your cloaks here and follow me!"

The people in the hall were completely obedient. One by one, they unfastened their cloaks, which fluttered to the ground, revealing that every last one of them was an exceptionally beautiful woman.

Their attire was identical to Murong Qing's, with sacred-looking makeup and extremely revealing clothing.

The two men licked their lips and swallowed, their eyes filled with hunger.

"Come now. Soon, you will all undergo the ritual of the Gu God!" one of the men said excitedly.

Then the two men turned and led the way.

The thirty-three women fell into line and followed, as if numbered. Murong Qing, positioned near the back, slowly shuffled forward with the others.

After a short walk, the cavern began to branch into numerous tunnels. The path forked again and again, creating a confusing labyrinth of similar-looking passages. Without a guide, an ordinary person would surely become lost.

After an unknown amount of time, the group finally arrived in another stone hall.

Unlike the previous one, this hall was filled with dozens of stone beds. Next to each bed stood a naked, masked man. These men were all powerfully built, their bodies partially covered by hard, black carapaces. For some, it was an entire arm; for others, half a leg or their entire back. Even more grotesquely, one man's arm had become a black pincer, another had feelers sprouting from his head, and one's two legs had transformed into four black, insect-like limbs. In short, not one of them was entirely human.

A strange, greedy, and hungry smile played on all their lips.

The man with the black pincer at the front stepped forward, swept up one of the women, and carried her straight to his stone bed. He took her lantern, placed it in a holder on the bed, and under the dim yellow light, used his pincer to snip the hemp cord at her hip…

A second woman was then carried off, and she cooperated by wrapping her arms around her captor's neck.

The third, the fourth…

Soft gasps began to fill the stone hall. Beneath their sacred-looking makeup, the women's faces held expressions of prayer.

The eighth… the tenth… The women were carried away one by one.

Once they had the women, the misshapen men acted differently; some began with a kiss, while others got straight to the point.

Soon, a particularly tall man stopped in front of Murong Qing, the same strange, wicked smile on his face. He placed one hand on her shoulder and slid the other under the crook of her knees, sweeping her into his arms.

As she looked up, Murong Qing wrapped her arms around the man's neck. Her upward gaze allowed her to see past the bottom of his mask, revealing a pair of glowing green eyes. They were not human eyes.

With a satisfied grunt, the man chuckled triumphantly and slowly carried Murong Qing to the stone bed, taking the lantern from her hands.

The instant the lantern left her hand, a flash of clarity returned to Murong Qing's eyes. She lashed out with a kick to the man's chest and tried to flee.

'That was close! The phosphorescent powder from that lantern clouds the mind. I was about to be defiled!'

But the man caught her ankle with one hand, preventing her escape. The smile never left his lips.

Though Murong Qing couldn't use her True Qi, her martial skills remained. She snatched the lantern and smashed it against the man's head, knocking his mask away.

The moment the mask fell, a look of terror crossed the man's face. He clapped his hands over his eyes, and Murong Qing seized the opportunity to scramble away.

Her actions drew the attention of several other men, who angrily dropped the women they held and moved to block the exit.

Despair filled Murong Qing's heart. 'These men are clearly powerful. My kick just now proved it—they have to be at least at the Celestial Spirit Realm. Without my True Qi, I can't possibly deal with them.'

Biting her lip, she cried out in her heart, 'Chen Dong, where are you?'

The man put his mask back on and loomed behind Murong Qing like a tower, preparing to pull her into a brutal embrace.

Just then, a flash of lightning erupted. A Thunder Spear shot from the tunnel outside, piercing through the towering man's heart.

'Lightning techniques!?'

Murong Qing was stunned! Tears streamed down her face as she cried out, "Damn you, Chen Dong! You're finally here! Any later and you would've lost your wife!" Her right hand was already pressed into her own abdomen, fingers piercing her flesh, with blood trickling out. She had been prepared to die to protect her honor.

With another flash of lightning, the heads of the three men blocking her path were sent flying.

Chen Dong immediately swept Murong Qing into his arms, saying gently, "I'm sorry, I'm late." As he spoke, he softly wiped the tears from her eyes.

Murong Qing smiled blissfully. "You're not late. You're right on time. Just like a hero."

Chen Dong looked at the 'aberrations' before him, rage burning in his heart. If he had been even a moment later, Murong Qing might have suffered the same fate as the other women.

A Thunder Spear instantly materialized in his hand. Holding Murong Qing, his figure flickered through the cavern.

Within two seconds, all the 'aberrations' still in the throes of passion with the women were decapitated, their heads and bodies falling separately. Meanwhile, the women continued to murmur their prayers.

Chen Dong sensed the seal and the Gu Insect within Murong Qing's body. Gritting his teeth in fury, he gently took out a Silver Needle to undo the seal and expel the Gu Insect.

Murong Qing gazed at Chen Dong, completely entranced, and chuckled softly. "How did you find me here?"