Chapter 249 – Hanzi Is In Trouble
Gu Lingzhi could see his intentions immediately and screamed to stop him, “No, Senior!”
After speaking, she was afraid that her attitude was too urgent and would arouse their suspicion and thus, changed into an angered tone, “I would like to throw this item onto Rong Yuan’s face in the presence of Ding Rou. Initially, he promised to be with me for a lifetime. Now, he’s not even married and is already having many affairs. He’s such an unfaithful man, I want to let Ding Rou see for herself what kind of heartless rat she snatched away from me!”
After listening to Gu Lingzhi’s indignation, the masked man thought for a moment and returned the ring to Gu Lingzhi silently. The item was useless anyway. If it could be used to make Rong Yuan uncomfortable and bring an end to their relationship, it was not bad at all.
The wildebeest carriage rode for a period of time before the voice in Gu Lingzhi’s mind started ringing, “Actually, it doesn’t matter even if he crushed the ring. The raw material used to refine the ring, Xinghai Sand, was already unexceptional during ancient times. Even if it was crushed, it can be pieced back upon finding its fragments.
Gu Lingzhi said nothing. Why didn’t you say so earlier then?
Through this experience, whatever doubt Pan En had about Gu Lingzhi was halved. The other half was still attributed to how she could pass Liu Yiyan’s challenge so easily. Gu Lingzhi’s answer was that she had once consumed an elixir to enhance her spirit, which gave her an upperhand in such tests.
As to where she has gotten the elixir from, Gu Lingzhi blamed Rong Yuan once again.
Although Pan En was still suspicious, he was reminded that not only Gu Lingzhi successfully ascended the seventh level, but also Rong Yuan, he was then convinced. He secretly ridiculed Rong Yuan for not only losing his wife but also the spiritual treasures. Such a great elixir was given to Gu Lingzhi yet he failed to keep her, and all the benefits ended up with Pan En now.
When they returned to the palace, Pan En appeased Gu Lingzhi by expressing that he will report this incident to the elders and find the Demigod that has robbed them as soon as possible to retrieve their belongings. Gu Lingzhi watched as Pan En departed and silently raised her middle finger.
“I’ve lost my things because of him, doesn’t he know how to compensate me?”
While squeezing onto the communication stone, Gu Lingzhi could not help complaining to Rong Yuan who was on the other side.
On the other hand, Rong Yuan was breaking out in a cold sweat because of Gu Lingzhi’s words, “You knew there was something up and yet you still left with him. Aren’t you afraid that if he managed to get hold of any evidence, you’ll be captured immediately for interrogation?”
Gu Lingzhi blinked, “If there was evidence, why would he still be putting up an act?”
Rong Yuan was speechless.
This time, Gu Lingzhi spent ten full days in the palace to rest. This ten day period was not only for Gu Lingzhi to nourish and store up energy, it was also the last test for her.
If the person causing mischief in the Sacred Lands was Gu Lingzhi, then during this period where she was not there, the people stationed in the Sacred Land would be safe and sound. On the contrary, this would prove Gu Lingzhi to be innocent and still useful.
Two days before Gu Lingzhi’s departure, Rong Yuan did not think of this relationship. Upon finding out in the call with Gu Lingzhi that Pan En had been looking at her oddly these few days, he snapped and suddenly came to his senses. He requested Liu Yiyan to control all the Restrictive Shields he could and replicate what Gu Lingzhi did - hunt and kill all the sinful Martial Artists of North Qiu Kingdom that were in the Sacred Lands.
Rong Yuan came to his senses very timely - just as Liu Yiyan struck and the news of three North Qiu Kingdom’s Martial Artists being eliminated spread to the Royal Family, Pan Wuyang happened to be instructing Pan En on how to capture Gu Lingzhi. He wanted to force her to continue working for North Qiu. With the arrival of the news, Pan Wuyang changed his mind and let Pan En continue with his tender approach.
Within a short span of time, speculation on the suspect had fallen into a quagmire.
“If it wasn’t Gu Lingzhi, who else could it be? If only one or two people had accidentally stepped into a Teleportation Spell during a crisis, it’s still reasonable. But so many people have undergone the same encounter simultaneously. This is definitely not a coincidence! And all those top-ranking Martial Artists that my Pan family has lost…” Pan Wuyang muttered to himself while his voice carried a painful heartache.
That was five Demigods! Even if the Pan Family had a deep foundation and that their family had thirteen Demigods in reality, losing five of them was still equivalent to cutting off half of their wings. Who could it be, hiding and scheming against them in the dark?
Pan Wuyang had never once thought that something like this that had happened to his family was completely their fault. He only saw what the Pan Family had lost.
“Uncle, if the person secretly causing mischief is not Gu Lingzhi, could it be…someone from the Spirit Tribe?”
The sudden question of Pan En was like a ray of light that had instantly stabbed into his mind, giving him the pleasure of receiving wisdom.
“That’s right. One who is able to control the relics of the Spirit Tribe would certainly have their bloodline. Wasn’t there an appearance of a person that was suspected to be from the Spirit Tribe recently? Where is she now? Is she amongst the relics?”
Rong Yuan and Liu Yiyan were going around the Sacred Lands commiting crimes so as to clear Gu Lingzhi off the suspect list. They were unaware that while they were covering their tracks, Pan En managed to guess a part of the truth. On the other hand, Wei Hanzi, who disguised herself as the Black Thorn, was the prime suspect now. In order to prevent any further losses for the Pan Family, Pan Wuyang decided to put a pause on killing the Martial Artists from other Kingdoms. He ordered everyone in the Sacred Lands to capture Wei Hanzi to the best of their abilities, whether she was dead or alive!
Due to the Pan Family’s cancelation of the hunting of Martial Artists, Liu Yiyan was unable to differentiate those from the Pan Family and those who came here simply for the treasure hunt. As for those who killed others in order to obtain the treasures and also those who betrayed each other for the benefits, he did not hesitate to stop them. Thus, when Wei Hanzi was hunted by the men sent from the North Qiu’s Royal Family, Liu Yiyan thought that it was just another normal scenario of people chasing and killing one another in pursuit of spiritual treasures. His gaze flashed past a battered Wei Hanzi who was on a runaway before looking elsewhere.
After another two days when Gu Lingzhi stepped into the boundary of the Sacred Lands and used the ring to observe the overall place, all she saw was the scene where Wei Hanzi was bathed in blood and bullied.
“Hanzi!” Gu Lingzhi exclaimed. She could not be bothered if she would be exposed. With a flash of white light, she appeared in the area where Wei Hanzi was.
“Bitch, you’ve escaped for many days before finally being surrounded by our brothers?” The man leading the small group to hunt Wei Hanzi laughed eerily, “If you had behaved and not resisted, maybe I could have ended your life swiftly. Now that we have lost three of our brothers, I have to settle this score with you!”
With that, the man swung his right hand and a water arrow was shot towards Wei Hanzi’s body. It made a splashing sound while penetrating her rib cage. Within a second, Wei Hanzi’s blood-stained dress gained an additional dark-colored scar.
“Ah, quite a tough one. This much damage and yet no sound was made,” the man licked his lips as his gaze towards Wei Hanzi became fervent. After a few days of hunting, the dress Wei Hanzi wore was already soaked in blood. It stuck closely to her body and revealed her graceful figure.
Thinking of the command whereby she was to be captured whether alive or dead, the man’s eyes darkened. Without knowing how Wei Hanzi looked beneath the mask, it would still be a waste to let go of a woman with such a good figure.
When the men around him saw his expression, they knew what he was thinking and exchanged an ambiguous smile with each other. They looked at Wei Hanzi with malicious intent.
They had no clue as to what had happened among the higher-ups such that they suddenly revoked their order to hunt down the other Kingdoms’ Martial Artists and instead hunt down a masked woman. After so many days, this group of men finally chanced upon her. It would be appropriate to let them entertain themselves and relieve the pressure from this period of time.
“I say, let’s not remove the mask off her face. If she is too ugly, it would dampen our spirits,” one of the men said while swallowing his saliva.
“Isn’t it boring to be wearing a mask? What if she was a beauty? I heard that this person was a confidante of the Xia Kingdom’s Third Prince How ugly could she be?”
“That is true.”
After a few more teases, several men narrowed the circle surrounding Wei Hanzi. The man in front even took a few big strides and grasped onto Wei Hanzi’s chin. With a hand full of calluses, he was about to remove Wei Hanzi’s mask.
“Stop!” A delicate voice accompanied by an angered flame attacked the group’s leader. The man in front stepped backwards subconsciously. With hostility, he looked at the figure who suddenly appeared.
“Are you…Lady Gu?” After seeing the appearance clearer, the man was stunned for a moment before he spoke with malevolence, “Lady Gu, we work for the Second Prince. If you are smart enough, you would leave quickly and not obstruct our mission.”
Gu Lingzhi and Pan En’s relationship had already spread enthusiastically these days. These subordinates would definitely know about it. Even though it was strange that Gu Lingzhi would suddenly appear here, it was not ideal for the situation to become physical. They could only hope that Gu Lingzhi would know how to behave and initiate her departure upon hearing their words.
“Leave?” Gu Lingzhi sneered, “Don’t you all know that Hanzi is my friend?”
“What fr-” Before the first man could finish his words, he was smashed and sent flying away by the sudden appearance of a huge boulder. His figure flipped twice in the air and stopped abruptly as if he touched something unknown. With a few strange shakes, he fell silently onto the ground.
“This...this is the Restrictive Shield? Boss has touched a Restrictive Shield?” a man yelled. As soon as his voice fell, several dazzling lights flashed past and several people around him were sentenced to the same treatment as the first man. Either they flew around and bumped into the Restrictive Shields or they disappeared mysteriously.
The man’s eyes widened in horror as he looked at Gu Lingzhi as if he was looking at a True God. He could not comprehend how she did it. She was obviously just a Martial Artist. How could she release such powerful attacks that even the Martial Sages were powerless against them?
His doubts were destined to be unsolved as during the period where he was astonished, Gu Lingzhi charged at him with a sword and split him in half instantly.
Until the last person was also killed by her, Gu Lingzhi then stopped and looked at Wei Hanzi who was behind her. She quickly took a healing elixir from her Storage Ring and urged her to consume it. Before she could ask what was going on, she heard a mess of footsteps coming from a distance. In an instant, they appeared on the seventh floor of the main hall.
At the entrance of the Sacred Lands, Pan En stared gloomily at the place where Gu Lingzhi disappeared, the expression on his face was hard to read.