Wait a minute, where is my master?

"Taoist...Taoist!"

The chilly, rough voice seemed to get stuck.

"I saw it."

Hall Master Xia's face looked terrible. She had never noticed before that Zou had the potential of bringing bad luck.

"Didn't you say you could hold him off for an hour?"

"Who would have thought he could actually uproot a piece from Five Dragon Mountain!!!"

Hall Master Xia, who usually appeared charming, was now almost in tears.

"Do not panic, both of you, watch me."

Officer Lin confidently stepped forward, thinking, as long as he could detain this young Taoist with words for the duration of an incense stick. When the time came, if the Taoist still wanted to save the citizens, he would naturally depend on the three of them.

"Lin..."

"Let him go, this man was once acclaimed for his unmatched debating skills, he might really be able to detain this young Taoist for a while."

Hall Master Xia remained calm at this time and interrupted what Hall Master Zou was about to say with a message transmission.

She understood what Officer Lin was trying to do, and running away was obviously not an option now. In front of Gusu City's gate was a vast open space without any cover.

Hearing this, Hall Master Zou also gave up on persuading him further, thinking it might buy them some time.

...

The ground trembled slightly.

Jin Xu gently placed the cave on the ground, being careful mainly to avoid disrupting the chess game.

Officer Lin, who was walking towards him, couldn't help but swallow nervously.

He had never witnessed the young Taoist making a move, but the way he handled it with ease showed exquisite control over his spiritual power.

"Taoist Jin Xu, do you intend to save the people in the city?

I have long known that Taoist Jin Xu possesses profound cultivation, strength that reaches the heavens. However, the cultivators in the city have been tainted by the accumulated resentment in the Transformation Pond over the years. Unless you have the control method from Divine Sect, even with your great power, you can't save them.

If you..."

Officer Lin appeared polite, but his words were undoubtedly threatening. He was certain that a Jin Xu, who couldn't even stomach letting Zhao Qian die, would surely have a soft heart when faced with the millions of people in Gusu City.

"Do you play chess?"

"Huh?"

"Do you play chess?"

Jin Xu asked again in a soft voice.

Officer Lin was somewhat baffled, but replied honestly, "I am not skilled in the art of chess. Taoist Jin Xu, we should talk about Gusu City...!!!"

With a casual punch, the young Taoist pierced through Officer Lin's dantian.

"You...you..."

Being just a minor cultivator in the Golden Core Realm, Officer Lin was supposed to be a spy in Gusu City, where a too high cultivation could not be afforded. Now, with his dantian shattered, he died instantly.

But until his death, he couldn't understand why not knowing chess warranted him being struck down!

Jin Xu withdrew his arm, cast the Body Purification Skill on it, and cleaned off the blood.

He had intended to throw the man away, not to pierce through him.

"Well, he's dead now, so be it... there are still two more after all."

Jin Xu thought that Officer Lin's mind might not be very good; coming up and blatantly disclosing his plans, acting overtly as a traitor. Didn't he know that three members of Demon Sect were standing at the city gate?

One dead, what of it, there are still two left.

And Jin Xu hated traitors the most!

Thinking this, the young Taoist stepped towards the other two Hall Masters, Zou Xia, who were a meter away.

Both Hall Masters were already pale faced, and the other who wasn't pale-faced turned pale with fright now.

The dialogue between Officer Lin and Jin Xu had not been covered up, and they heard every word.

Hall Master Zou softly asked, "Do you know how to play chess?"

Hall Master Xia responded with a cold face, "Yes."

Being a regular in the brothels, she knew the fine arts such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

"Then you go and delay this young Taoist for a while."

"But the chess game at Five Dragon Mountain is a dead game."

"..."

As the two conversed in hushed tones, Jin Xu had already approached them.

"Uh..." Hall Master Zou wanted to say something to ease the tense atmosphere.

Then he saw the little Taoist in front of him suddenly raise his right arm, his shoulder slightly shifting, and a punch hurtling toward his face!

???

At that moment, only one thought ran through his mind: why did the little Taoist start throwing punches the moment it was his turn, even though he had just spoken a few words?

Still in a bewildered state, Hall Master Zou couldn't react in time, instinctively bringing his hands together in front of his chest, attempting to block the punch...

Unfortunately, his flesh, which he'd taken pride in among his peers, was like frail yellow paper at that moment, after the fierce impact of the golden spiritual power.

Hall Master Zou was entirely sprawled across the eastern gate of Gusu City.

"Whew~ Account settled."

The little Taoist exhaled, shaking his right hand.

He clearly remembered how this man with a zombie-like face owed him a punch during the formation in Wild Wolf Ridge.

Then, Jin Xu turned to look at Hall Master Xia, who was slightly trembling, and asked in a kindly tone,

"Do you play Go?"

The Bronze Gate, watching the little Taoist eliminate two men, felt more resolved to be a good gate.

...

Gusu City, west side.

In a civilian home, Yu Yaoer, accompanied by Little White and Xia Yunzhao, hid inside.

At that time, the entire house was enveloped by a Deceptive Silk Cover.

West Gusu was secluded and mostly inhabited by ordinary people, with few cultivators venturing here.

Furthermore, the house was hidden, making it relatively safe at the moment.

However, the current situation inside the house was a bit tricky; they had an old man tied to a chair, his eyes bloodshot, and his demeanor manic.

"Sister, what's wrong with Grandpa?"

A little girl in a light green dress, hair in twin buns, tearfully asked with her tiny hands clasping her own dress hem, looking timid.

It was the little girl who sold wontons at the snack stand.

The Little Fish Demon had intended to lead the two women out of the city, but they were unfortunately too late. The trio couldn't break through the City Protection Array and were instead transported to the west of Gusu City.

Seeing that they failed to leave the city, Yu Yaoer decided to lead the two women back to the patrol headquarters, as it was relatively safer. However, as they passed the familiar snack stand, Little White heard the crying of the little girl.

The Husky immediately recognized that it was the cry of the wonton-selling girl since it had eaten her wontons numerous times and remembered her voice vividly.

Therefore, the three women hurried to check it out.

Upon entering the house, they found the old man had already trapped himself in the chair, and the little girl was far away, wanting to approach but clearly terrified.

She could only cry quietly by the side.

"Don't worry, little sister. When my master returns, he will surely cure your grandfather."

"Yes, our temple master is very powerful," Yu Yaoer and Little White said to comfort her, while Xia Yunzhao also wanted to say something but was clearly not very adept at comforting children.

"Is it that very handsome Taoist brother?"

The little girl clearly had a deep impression of Jin Xu.

"Yes, yes, yes," Xia Yunzhao replied.

The three women had already checked, and it turned out that the old man was invaded by resentment, triggering his own thoughts, which led to his madness.

The little girl, due to her innocent mind, wasn't invaded by the resentment immediately.

However, if Little White had not heard her cries, who knows what might have happened.

Regarding this situation, Yu Yaoer expressed her helplessness as she was skilled at treating physical injuries, but not mental ones.

Little White said she had about a dozen methods to dispose of the old man, but none that could restore him to a clear state of mind.

Xia Yunzhao mentioned that her family's Royal Skill had a purifying function, but it was too overpowering for a normal person like the old man; purifying him might leave the girl with a vegetative grandfather.

Therefore, the three women unanimously decided to stay put to protect the little girl and wait for a miracle (Jin Xu) to happen.

"I hope the master returns soon; after all, Deceptive Silk Cover is not meant for protection. It only provides simple isolation and won't last long," the Little Fish Demon prayed silently.

They didn't know whether the formation had blocked the Communication Jade Token, as Jin Xu hadn't responded to any of the messages they'd sent him.