Snap!

The horned infant's skull cracked open.

A man, with a face as if carved from jade and standing tall and upright, lowered his head in silence for a moment, then stood up and approached the secret chamber's wall.

On the wall hung a painting, depicting a man in sumptuous attire with a long beard, debonair and dashing, with eyes radiating brilliance.

"The sorrow of a fallen nation, a thousand years turned to emptiness..."

The man's fists clenched tightly, his knuckles turning white, eyes filled with an ancient desolation, "Your Majesty, Ziquan... it's all for naught!"

After standing in a daze for a moment, the man took a deep breath, his expression gradually calming, turned around and walked towards the other side of the wall, transforming into a faint shadow, passing through the wall.

Outside was a study room, where cold moonlight hung solitary beyond the window frame, snow pressed down upon the plum blossoms, and the candle flames flickered unsteadily.

The man paused in surprise.

A woman in elegant attire stood in a daze, staring at him, holding a quilt in her arms.

"I once told you, do not enter my study..."

A hint of killing intent flashed in the man's eyes.

The woman lowered her eyes, "Husband, it's cold at night. I brought you a quilt. Don't worry, I have instructed the maid not to come near."

The man's gaze sharpened slightly, "Did you see it?"

The woman calmly set down the quilt, slowly approached to embrace the man, resting her face against his chest.

"Husband, I actually guessed long ago that you are not human, no matter how well you hide it from outsiders, you can't deceive the one who sleeps beside you."

"Aren't you afraid of death?"

"Ever since meeting you, these years have been happy for Lan'Er. This life is enough..."

The man, expressionless, gently caressed the woman's back, as scales and claws slowly grew on his right hand.

Yet, as he repeatedly hovered his hand over the woman's slender neck, he couldn't bring himself to do it, gradually feeling vexed, pushing the woman aside with a cold expression.

"Go, tonight I will sleep in the study."

A trace of sadness flashed in the woman's eyes, she nodded silently, and slowly turned to leave.

Shortly after the woman left, the man turned into a shadow, first leaving the courtyard, then passing through walls and streets, arriving at a large courtyard with three levels.

Outside the courtyard gate, soldiers stood guard, and the plaque prominently read Ghost Rong Kingdom Embassy.

From the darkness of the corridor, a tall and sturdy figure slowly emerged, the same man from that night who faced off with the Blood Wolf Guard of Ghost Rong Kingdom.

The burly man cast an indifferent glance at him, then slowly retreated into the darkness, like a fierce beast lurking, waiting to pounce at any moment.

The man paid no mind, striding into the main hall.

Inside, under gauzy curtains and flickering candlelight, a veiled woman sat cross-legged on a prayer mat at the center, holding a small jug of wine between two jade-like fingers, swaying it leisurely.

Upon hearing the sound, she didn't open her eyes, a slight smile graced her features, as her alluring yet slightly hoarse voice resonated.

"Lord Chen, did you bring it..."

The man's pupils suddenly took on a chestnut hue, then quickly returned to normal, "I need to confirm it one last time."

The woman covered her mouth with laughter, then slowly removed her veil and opened her eyes.

An exceptionally beautiful face appeared before the man, so almost holy in its allure, with the most striking feature being her eyes, clearly carrying a trace of alien race blood, breathtaking and captivating.

The man momentarily lost himself, then burst into laughter, "Rumor has it that in the depths of the grasslands, in the Blood Sea Forbidden Land, there resides an Outer Heaven Demon Monarch, venerated by the Ghost Rong Shamanism as their lord, and the Saintess possesses witch blood, serving as the Divine Courtesan to the Demon Lord."

"If the Qian Emperor Li Geng, lustful as he is, were to die at the hands of such a beauty, it would indeed be a blessing of sorts."

The Saintess smiled faintly yet with endless allure, sipped some wine held between her fingers, "If the Qian Emperor dies by my hand, the two countries will surely go to war. However, grassland warriors never care about life or death. Shouldn't you be giving me the item."

The man nodded, casually tossing an object over.

The Saintess caught it, revealing a dusty shard of a tile covered in dense engravings, seemingly a map of a palace.

The man nodded, then his gaze turned sharp, "I've given you the item already, and I know the methods of White God Mountain. If you dare not fulfill the task, you won't be getting another piece."

He finished speaking and vanished as a shadow.

Soon after, the Ghost Rong strongman entered, extending a large hand with a cold expression.

The Saintess sneered, handed over the shard, sipped the wine calmly, her face devoid of joy or sorrow...

......

The evening glow shone through the window, casting a soft light on the table, the room was extraordinarily quiet, and outside the window, Fatty Tiger lay on the ground snoring, occasionally twitching his ears and scratching his belly.

Sigh~

Sitting cross-legged on the prayer mat, Zhang Kui exhaled a puff of yellow smoke, slowly opened his eyes, and shook his head slightly.

Absorbing the pills doesn't upgrade as quickly, but one can indeed feel the continuous growth of mana.

Suddenly, his expression shifted as he looked outside the window.

There, a shadow swiftly approached from the horizon, landing with a flap of wings in the courtyard, causing the accumulated snow to dance wildly in the wind.

It was Elder Huayan's Immortal Crane.

Fatty Tiger, covered in snow from head to toe, woke up ready to curse, but seeing the Immortal Crane, he immediately shrank his neck and tried to leave.

The Immortal Crane cackled sharply, "Where are you sneaking off to, you little cat?"

Fatty Tiger quickly forced a smile in a flattering manner, "Greetings, Uncle He, I'm just going for a walk."

Saying so, he slinked away out of the courtyard.

Last time Fatty Tiger had suffered greatly upon meeting him, never had he encountered such an infuriating Immortal Crane, but alas, being unable to best him, he could only avoid it.

The Immortal Crane shook its head, laughing raucously.

Zhang Kui pushed the door open, shaking his head slightly and clasping his hands, "Senior He, are you here for me?"

Elder Huayan's Immortal Crane had reached the Celestial Tribulation Realm, qualified enough to become a National Guardian True Man, but unfortunately, it had an overbearing and willful temperament, enjoying nothing more than bullying the weak.

The Immortal Crane spoke in a sharp voice, "There's a grand banquet in the palace recently. The old man sent me to fetch you, to partake in the feast and revelry."

Zhang Kui shook his head in refusal, "I, Zhang, do not care for those people. Please extend my thanks to Elder Hua Yan on my behalf."

"Such a fool!"

The Immortal Crane shouted, "The old Emperor is celebrating his sixtieth birthday with a feast, and they will unveil the 'Jade Nectar' made from Spirit Medicine. The National Guardian True Man might not care, but for your cultivation, it would be immensely beneficial. Haven't you heard the saying: a fool who doesn't seize a good deal?"

Zhang Kui burst into delighted laughter,

"Senior He, with words like those, if I didn't go, wouldn't I be the fool? Alright, alright, let's go crash the old Emperor's dinner party."

Having said that, he instructed Fatty Tiger, then leapt onto the back of the crane, heading straight for the Imperial City.

The night wind whooshed past, although Zhang Kui had long been able to traverse the heights, never before had he flown thus, even with all the airplane rides in his previous life.

Gazing at the bright moon hanging high, the vastness of the earth, with the rushing night wind beside him, a sense of longing arose spontaneously.

This is what true freedom means; I wonder when I'll be able to fly on my own...

Alas, the Imperial City was reached in an instant, with numerous palaces illuminated by rows of lanterns below, and countless palace maids and eunuchs bustling in and out of the grand Zhengyang Hall.

After the Immortal Crane landed, it strutted proudly towards the main hall, and along the way, the guards and maids hurriedly saluted upon seeing it.

Zhang Kui followed behind, glancing around, sizing up this thousand-year-old Imperial City.

Zhengyang Hall was exceptionally wide and tall, the crane, over seven meters in height, didn't seem cramped in the least.

The grand hall was divided into three sections, with civil and military officials already present on both sides below, the middle occupied by the National Guardian True Men, and the top featured an enormous dragon throne about seven or eight meters long, magnificently luxurious yet still empty.

As the man and crane entered, they immediately drew numerous gazes, some curious, some indifferent, others amused.

Zhang Kui ignored them completely, following the Immortal Crane to the center, taking a seat behind Elder Huayan.

Elder Huayan turned and smiled:

"You have quite the capacity for drink. Pay no mind to others, and enjoy yourself to the fullest today. Drink as much as possible of the 'Jade Nectar,' there's no telling when you'll have another chance like this, perhaps not for another decade."

Zhang Kui chuckled and whispered:

"Don't worry, Elder. My only concern is that the Emperor might get distressed."

Beside him, Helian Boxiong and Huo Yu with Double Pupils, who were acquaintances, nodded toward him, and Zhang Kui greeted them with a friendly smile and a bow.

Below on the right, seeing Zhang Kui sitting at a higher place than himself, laughing and talking with the National Guardian True Men, the Eldest Prince Li Shuo felt a twinge.

However, he quickly repressed it, reevaluating Zhang Kui's significance.

On the left below, a young man with a robust build and determined expression, dressed in fine attire, held a drink while contemplating, with a trace of a cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

At that moment, a white-haired eunuch slowly emerged, flicking his duster,

"The Emperor arrives!"

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