A Pawn's Passage

At this point, the remaining three attackers had no other thoughts left. They could only fire their rifles.

Qi Xuansu’s speed could not compare to the bullets from the rifles, but he only needed to be faster than their trigger pulls. His movements were elusive as he zigzagged like a snake. In the end, only one out of three shots managed to hit him.

As fate would have it, this shot struck Qi Xuansu directly in the chest, precisely where his Auxiliary Heart was located.

Even the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet could not damage his Auxiliary Heart. Qi Xuansu’s body merely stagnated slightly before he leaped in front of the three attackers.

The three realized they had no chance to fire again, so they dropped their Sun-Shooting Rifles in unison and drew their blades to face Qi Xuansu.

However, Qi Xuansu drew his Divine Dragon Pistol and fired a single shot, hitting one man squarely in the forehead. The two remaining men faced Qi Xuansu, weapons in hand. But despite this, they were still no match for the unarmed Qi Xuansu. In just three moves, Qi Xuansu took both their lives.

That was how all eleven of Qi Xuansu’s attackers ended up dead.

Qi Xuansu retrieved his Flying Shadow, reloaded his Divine Dragon Pistol, and picked up a Sun-Shooting Rifle. He opened the magazine and found that it was not full, with only a few golden Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet.

Clearly, these men were not wealthy enough to fill the magazine exclusively with the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullet and had to conserve them. Qi Xuansu checked the magazines of the other Sun-Shooting Rifles and managed to accumulate the Grade-B Series One Dragon Eye Bullets, filling one magazine entirely with them.

He slung the rifle over his back and left the hall now littered with dead bodies.

By this time, gunfire echoed throughout Zhenwu Temple. Apart from the group chasing Qi Xuansu, other attackers were engaged in battles with the Spirit Guards inside the temple or were planting Grade-A Series Eight Phoenix Eye Bombs everywhere.

Just as Qi Xuansu left the side hall, he saw a distant main hall suddenly become illuminated. Flames erupted from between the bricks and eaves, countless sparks swirling in the air before transforming into a massive fire that engulfed the hall. In the blink of an eye, the entire hall became a gigantic torch, the towering flames illuminated the night sky.

At the same time, fires broke out in several other directions, much like signal fires. Accompanying the flames was billowing black smoke. Fortunately, it was nighttime and not easily visible; otherwise, during the day, the entire Jinling Prefecture would have seen the smoke clearly.

At this rate, it would not take long for the entire Zhenwu Temple to be destroyed.

Qi Xuansu’s expression grew serious as he muttered, ”What a spectacle. Back in the previous dynasty, when Confucian scholars assassinated Emperor Shizong and burned the Imperial Palace, it wasn’t much more dramatic than this, was it?”

......

At the same time, Sikong Cuo and Situ Xingluan were also gazing at the rising flames.

Situ Xingluan chuckled. “I told you. It isn’t up to us when to act. All we have to do is wait for them to present the opportunity.”

Sikong Cuo nodded in understanding.

The Daoist Order’s infighting was a clear sign of their decline from prosperity.

Situ Xingluan tilted his head and asked, “Shall we?”

Sikong Cuo nodded firmly. “Let’s go!”

With that, he raised one hand high.

Behind them stood countless shadowy figures.

......

The dungeon had held off Marshal Tianpeng and his forces, but Zhang Yuelu still felt uneasy.

That was because while the dungeon blocked out external enemies, it also completely isolated them from the outside world.

As such, Zhang Yuelu had no idea what was happening outside. More critically, with the formation activated, communication using the mother-child talisman and rapid post talisman was also temporarily cut off, so she had no way of contacting Tiangang Hall or the Jiangnan Daoist Mansion.

This was undoubtedly a highly disadvantageous situation.

Zhang Yuelu disliked this feeling immensely. It made her feel like a tortoise retreating into its shell, leaving everything to fate.

The Spirit Guards marched back and forth, inspecting every corner of the dungeon’s defenses to ensure nothing was overlooked. Maintaining the formation also required personnel, so if there were any issues with its operation, they could fix them immediately.

Zhang Yuelu’s mind raced as she wove together all the known information.

With Lei Xiaohuan and Pei Xiaolou absent, Zhenwu Temple was at its weakest.

This was undoubtedly a premeditated attack. Since destroying Zhenwu Temple held little meaning and killing ordinary Spirit Guards would not change the situation, the attackers’ objective was clear: Ye Xiu.

Zhang Yuelu immediately asked, “Where is Ye Xiu being held?”

“In the deepest part of the water dungeon,” Mu Jin replied.

Zhang Yuelu’s expression changed as she quickly headed out. “To the water dungeon, now!”

Mu Jin and a group of Spirit Guards immediately followed behind Zhang Yuelu.

The water dungeon was located deep within the main dungeon, connected by an underground passage.

Zhang Yuelu entered the passage and walked over 30 meters before encountering an iron door.

Seeing Zhang Yuelu and her entourage, the prison guard unlocked the iron door, revealing a damp path beneath the Zhenwu Lake. This path became narrower after a few meters, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

After another 30 meters, the prison guard stopped and lit a kerosene lamp on the wall. In the dim light, another steel door loomed ahead.

Ye Xiu was imprisoned behind this steel door, making it extremely difficult for anyone to break him out of prison.

Zhang Yuelu stopped and signaled for the steel door to be opened.

Another Spirit Guard serving as a prison guard produced a special key to unlock the door. This was standard protocol—both guards needed to be present to open all the doors.

With a series of clicks, the steel door slowly rose.

Behind the door was a walkway lined with iron bars. This so-called water dungeon was merely a prison built underwater. Unlike traditional water dungeons, it was not submerged in water. It was just more humid. At this moment, Ye Xiu was seated on a cot against the wall.

Seeing Zhang Yuelu, Ye Xiu stood up, looking somewhat surprised.

After all, Zhang Yuelu had just interrogated him. There was no reason for her to interrogate him again so soon. Even if she had something else to ask, she would have summoned him, not come to him personally.

Zhang Yuelu breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Ye Xiu still in his cell. “Beggar King, you certainly have some impressive influence.”

“What do you mean?” Ye Xiu asked, confused.

Zhang Yuelu gave him a deep look. “They’ve already breached Zhenwu Temple and are attacking the dungeon as we speak. Do you think they’re here to rescue you—or to silence you?”

Ye Xiu’s face instantly turned pale. He knew he was not influential enough to warrant such a massive effort to rescue him. So it was clear these people were here to kill him and tie up loose ends.

Zhang Yuelu ordered the Spirit Guards. “Release him and remove his shackles.”

She then turned to Ye Xiu. “Beggar King, for your own sake, you should know what to do.”

Just as Ye Xiu was about to speak, the wall behind him suddenly shattered. Lake water poured in as an arm penetrated the wall, grabbing Ye Xiu’s head from behind.

No one had anticipated such a sudden and shocking turn of events.

In the next moment, the hand tightened its grip, crushing Ye Xiu’s head into blood mist. His headless body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

This was how the Beggar King met his end in the heavily guarded prison.

The dungeon had protective formations, but these relied on the earth’s energy. As such, the isolated section of the water dungeon beneath the lake was a weak point.

However, since this was not Beichen Hall’s dungeon, its initial design considered Zhenwu Lake as a natural barrier. The designers clearly did not expect anyone to break into the water dungeon from beneath the lake.

Zhang Yuelu had anticipated this vulnerability, which was why she intended to move Ye Xiu. However, she was still one step too late. With the iron bars still separating her from Ye Xiu, she could not save him in time even if she tried to.

The arm that penetrated the wall and crushed Ye Xiu’s head did not retract. Instead, it forcefully tore open a doorway of sorts that was large enough for a person to pass through.

More and more lake water surged in, quickly reaching ankle depth.

A figure stepped through the makeshift doorway into the water dungeon, surrounded by innate qi that kept the lake water at bay, preventing the dungeon from fully flooding.

The person who stepped through was none other than Marshal Thunder.

This Heavenly Being once again made a personal appearance after the Yuan family’s massacre.

”You all leave first. I’ll cover you,” Zhang Yuelu instructed calmly.

Mu Jin’s expression shifted slightly. “Deputy Hall Master—”

Zhang Yuelu’s tone deepened. “Go.”

Mu Jin dared not disobey and retreated into the underground passage with the others, following the original route back to the main part of the dungeon.

The water dungeon was now empty except for Zhang Yuelu and Marshal Thunder, staring at each other through the iron bars.

Marshal Thunder appeared relaxed, clasping his hands in salute. “Deputy Hall Master Zhang, your reputation precedes you.”

Zhang Yuelu remained composed. “Are you Marshal Thunder from the Heavenly Court?”

“I am,” Marshal Thunder replied with a slight smile.

Zhang Yuelu flicked her horsetail whisk. “You’ve already killed him. What more do you want? This is Jinling Prefecture, not some desolate wilderness. Reinforcements will arrive within the hour, so your time is limited.”

“Indeed, time is limited, but long enough.” Marshal Thunder declared, “Besides killing Ye Xiu, I’m also here to invite you to come with me, Deputy Hall Master Zhang. Someone would like to meet you.”

Zhang Yuelu sneered coldly. “You think you alone can bring me away?”

Marshal Thunder’s smile faded. “Yes, just me.”