Young Noble Be Monster Slaying

The biggest event in the City of Azure Waves today was, without a doubt, Miss Xue’s concert.

It was what people called a citywide sensation.

As the Kingdom of the Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon, this nation had an unparalleled passion for dance and music, a love that extended from the highest nobles to the common folk. The South Melody Conservatory, revered as the holy land of music across the nine provinces, was held in especially high regard here. Though disciples of the South Melody Conservatory had never traveled eastward to this land before, every year during the grand selection of the head disciple of the South Melody Conservatory, thousands from the Fuyao Kingdom would journey across the seas to the Yu Dynasty, just to cheer for their favorites.

Now, with Xue Lingxue making her first-ever appearance in the Fuyao Kingdom, the Flower Pavilion, which hosted the event, had gone to great lengths to accommodate the audience. They tore down the surrounding walls, leaving only support pillars. They even purchased and demolished more than a dozen nearby buildings to ensure that the performance could be seen by more people.

Such a massive event was rare in the entire history of the Fuyao Kingdom.

"Didn't expect to be this popular here, did you?" Chu Liang said as he looked at Xue Lingxue with a smile while being seated on a balcony on a rooftop.

As cultivators, their keen senses far surpassed those of ordinary people, so there was no need for them to squeeze into the dense crowd. They could easily see the performance in the Flower Pavilion from the surrounding buildings.

Meanwhile, across from them, a towering building was already surrounded by over a hundred saber-wielding and armored guards. In a short while, the King of the Fuyao Kingdom would arrive there to watch the performance. For the past few years, the king had remained in seclusion, rarely appearing in public. The fact that he showed up for this event was proof of his deep admiration for Xue Lingxue.

With her face veiled in white cloth, Xue Lingxue spoke softly, "I never knew the Fuyao Kingdom held such a refined appreciation for music. I should speak with the Conservatory Master about arranging more performances here in the future."

"That would be wonderful," replied Hu Sanlang, his face concealed beneath a black hood. "The people of Fuyao Kingdom have long admired the music and dance of the South Melody Conservatory."

"The same goes for Mount Shu," Lin Bei added, nodding in agreement.

"Oh, please." Tie Chui rolled her eyes. "Is it really the music you're admiring? I'm even embarrassed to expose you."

As Chu Liang gazed toward the distant royal palace, he said, "They're here."

A procession of carriages and horses emerged from the palace gates, moving in a steady, orderly fashion. The lead carriage, drawn by an exotic beast, passed through the streets and alleys before coming to a stop beneath the towering building. Dozens of royal guards immediately formed a human barricade, escorting the person in the carriage inside.

Every window of the towering building was tightly sealed, blocking the view inside. No one dared probe with their divine sense, fearing they might alert someone inside.

As Lin Bei watched from afar, he remarked, "The King of the Fuyao Kingdom is heavily guarded. How could an assassination even be possible?"

Chu Liang responded, "The Dragon Dancer's cultivation level isn't high. Even if she manages to get close to the king as Xue Lingxue, the chances of a successful assassination are slim."

He had felt doubtful about this ever since he heard Hu Sanlang mention it the day before.

The current king of the Fuyao Kingdom, Han Lingshou, was over thirty years old. Though he had yet to reach the Dao Attainment Realm, he had managed to cultivate to the sixth realm thanks to the abundant resources at his disposal. With the Dragon Dancer’s cultivation level, even if she could catch the king by surprise, it seemed highly unlikely that she would succeed in killing him.

However, since Jing Wuya had gone through the trouble of having someone impersonate Xue Lingxue, there was undoubtedly a deeper scheme at play. For now, they had no choice but to observe the situation. Whether it was to expose the fake Xue Lingxue or thwart the General of the Royal Wave Bureau’s plans, they had to get involved.

Meanwhile, inside the towering building across from them, in a place beyond their sight…

Han Lingshou, the king of the Fuyao Kingdom, ascended the stairs with an expression of cold indifference. With his high cheekbones, slim-shaped face, and narrow eyes, he looked like someone capable of exerting authority without showing any anger. Two elderly palace attendants, dressed in black brocade, followed closely behind him. As they climbed, guards were stationed at each level, ensuring tight security throughout the building.

By the time Han Lingshou reached the top floor, only the two white-haired, black-robed attendants remained by his side. As he stepped onto the top floor, his composed demeanor crumbled in an instant.

"Miss Xue! Miss Xue!" Han Lingshou eagerly rubbed his hands together as he rushed toward the balcony. "A tune kissed by frost, Jiangnan lost beneath falling snow!"[1]

The palace attendant behind him coughed and reminded, "Your Majesty, please keep calm and be serious."

"…" Han Lingshou’s expression froze for a moment before he reluctantly slumped into his seat and mumbled, "There's no one else here anyway."

The two palace attendants then stepped forward, drawing back the curtains and removing the dust covers draped over the screen and desk. As the fabric fluttered down with a rustling sound, a large, bright mirror was revealed at the side of the screen, showing the reflection of the figures inside the room.

…

"Xue Lingxue! Xue Lingxue!"

As a figure holding a guqin appeared on the high platform, thunderous cheers erupted from all directions. The woman on stage had radiant, porcelain-white skin, and her eyes were as soft and hazy as mist drifting through the clouds. If it wasn't Xue Lingxue, who else could it be?

Upon seeing the woman on stage, Lin Bei gasped. He stared at the performer and then turned to Xue Lingxue beside him. "She looks exactly like Xue Lingxue!"

Indeed, the woman's appearance and figure were a mirror image of Xue Lingxue's.

"If she weren’t identical, how could I have mistaken her for Xue Lingxue?" Tie Chui responded. "And not only does she look the same, but she plays the guqin just like Lingxue. That’s what really confuses me."

This was exactly what puzzled Chu Liang.

Even if one could mimic appearances, how could they copy someone’s instrument-playing skills? This could not be achieved through any divine skill or spell.

Zing!

With a single pluck of the strings, the performance began.

As the melody flowed gently through the air, the surrounding crowd gradually became entranced by its beauty. The woman on stage, resembling Xue Lingxue, played a piece titled "The Melody of the Night Wind Over Ping River." With its soft and soothing notes, the piece had the power to calm the heart, even lulling listeners into a peaceful slumber.

By the time the melody reached its midpoint, even the birds flying overhead had paused and perched on tree branches, completely captivated by the tune.

"This piece…" Even Xue Lingxue was slightly shocked. "It’s clearly better than my own playing! Her mastery of the Dao of Music is incredibly profound!"

"No, something’s wrong." Chu Liang suddenly spoke up. "This can’t be the Dragon Dancer. She doesn’t even need to get close to the King of Fuyao Kingdom to assassinate him. The goal has already been achieved with this piece!"

As he spoke, he shot forward like a gust of wind, heading toward the towering building across from them.

The Dao essence of "The Melody of the Night Wind Over Ping River" had enveloped the building, affecting those inside more intensely than the audience outside. At this moment, the royal guards were likely trapped in an illusion.

The assassination had begun!

By using the fake Xue Lingxue's performance, they had lured the king out of the palace. Then, they entranced the guards with the melody. Meanwhile, someone inside the building must have been cooperating with them.

Bam!

Chu Liang crashed into the top floor, finding himself in a spacious, silent chamber. In front of him was a wide-open balcony, and the only object in the room was a chair.

Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. The moment he turned around, he saw a mirror along with his own reflection staring back at him!

"Go!"

With a flick of his wrist, Chu Liang sent out a streak of multicolored light, which instantly dispersed into a mist of seven hues, shrouding the mirror.

Rumble!

The mirror flipped, and two assassins, dressed in black armor with light plating, sprang out. Armed with strange double-bladed weapons, they spun around and lunged at Chu Liang.

However, Chu Liang could not be bothered to waste his time here. With a single motion, his wings spread open, unleashing a thunderous boom.

Ever since he proved his understanding of the Great Dao of Severing the Void, his once-mighty Transcendent Dragon Form had become noticeably weaker compared to his skills rooted in the Dao of the Sword. As a result, he rarely engaged in physical combat anymore.

However, these two assassins had far weaker cultivation, making it a waste to use his Sword Strike of Severing the Void on them. It was better to conserve his foundational qi for the true enemies that would appear later.

Boom!

With a loud boom, the two assassins' attacks struck Chu Liang's dragon wings, but the force was immediately redirected back at them. They were sent flying backward, crashing into the walls before collapsing to the ground and appearing completely motionless. Their bones and tendons had been completely shattered, leaving no doubt that they wouldn’t survive.

Chu Liang's Transcendent Dragon Form was only weaker in comparison to his sword cultivation. Against these assassins, even the recoil from his wings unleashed enough power to kill them.

He transformed into a gust of wind again and charged downward. Upon reaching the third floor, he was met with a gruesome sight.

The floor was drenched in blood, with the bodies of palace attendants and royal guards scattered in utter chaos. At the center of it all stood a tall figure in iron armor, like a devil incarnate. With one hand, he crushed the head of an elderly palace attendant, one of the two dressed in black cloaks.

Bam!

The figure in iron armor was the General of the Royal Wave Bureau, Jing Wuya!

He had taken action himself.

The palace attendant was at the seventh realm and he was likely the king's most important personal guard. Yet, he was no match for Jing Wuya and was gruesomely killed right there.

Another palace attendant, slightly weaker in cultivation, lay slain in a pool of blood. Meanwhile, Han Lingshou, the king, was shaken to his core and desperately tried to break through the walls to escape.

However, the moment he collided with the wall, a barrier of light rebounded him.

The entire building had been sealed with an enchanted formation; otherwise, a massacre of this scale would have surely alerted those outside.

With his armor drenched in blood, Jing Wuya glanced at Chu Liang and spoke in a voice as deep as rolling thunder, "Disciple of the Mount Shu Sect, why bother meddling in this…"

While he was talking, he raised his fist and punched.

Boom!

In the blink of an eye, his iron-clad fist struck the spot where Chu Liang had just been.

But Chu Liang had already moved ten zhang away using Dimension Compression. With his back against the wall, he drew the Demon-Slaying Sword, flipping it into his palm.

Shing!

A surge of swordlight erupted, engulfing Jing Wuya in a fierce tide of sword qi. Yet, when the energy receded, his heavy armor only bore surface scratches, without a single deep mark.

Jing Wuya had blocked the sword strike.

"Hah…" Jing Wuya exhaled sharply. He had successfully protected himself from injury, but it hadn't been easy.

When he raised his eyes once more, he realized that the room was empty. On the far side, a crack had appeared in the wall of the building—it was clear now that Chu Liang’s true intent was not to fight but to shatter the formation.

Not only had Chu Liang escaped, but Han Lingshou had also vanished.

Jing Wuya slowly murmured a name under his breath. "Chu Liang…"

1. A chant mentioned in Chapter 78. ☜