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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 66: Waiting for Food
The Serpent King said, "More than a decade ago, Qingyang City was not a vassal of the Doomed Court; it belonged to the Kong Family. Kong Wen had no sons and could only pass the inheritance to his eldest daughter, Kong Qi. After Kong Wen's death, Benefactor Wang harbored ambitions to seize the city. Initially, Kong Qi was still the city lord and had some say in matters; she was not entirely under Benefactor Wang's control. Later, the Tenth Prince arrived in Qingyang City as an envoy."
"The Tenth Prince, under the pretense of mutual protection, sought to station troops in Qingyang City. This proposal divided the Kong Family into two factions. One faction believed that a woman like Kong Qi could hardly manage Qingyang City, which was indeed true. They decided to accept the Tenth Prince's request for military support. The other faction stood by Kong Qi, arguing that Qingyang City was the ancestral home of the Kong Family. It was evident to anyone that once the troops were stationed, it would be difficult to protect their heritage."
Ji Zichen understood that once the army entered the city, it would be hard to deal with them; entering was easy, but leaving would be difficult. He asked, "Were there more supporters or more opponents?"
The Serpent King replied solemnly, "Of course there were more opponents. Anyone could see what Benefactor Wang was plotting."
Ji Zichen remarked, "Then it seems rejecting them is futile now."
The Serpent King smiled faintly. "At that time, seventy percent of the Kong Family opposed the Tenth Prince entering the city. The Tenth Prince then set up camp outside the city. From then on, someone died every day in brutal ways—some were found dead by the roadside, others in sewers, and some had their limbs severed and eyes gouged out and placed in their mouths."
Ji Zichen's expression changed. "Wouldn't this incite public outrage?"
The Serpent King's gaze trembled slightly as if recalling a dark memory. He said, "Back then, people died violently every day; even children understood what that meant. The Tenth Prince aimed to instill panic and fear among the citizens to pressure the Kong Family. Although many died, no one saw who committed these acts; they couldn't pin it on the Tenth Prince."
"In the end, fear spread among the people. For ordinary citizens, it didn't matter who was city lord; many ran to the Kong Family estate demanding that Kong Qi step down. The most pitiful one in this situation was Kong Qi herself; ultimately, she lost control."
"She also became furious!" This was Shilan speaking at Qingyang Manor as she recounted old events to Lin Chuyu. Shilan trembled as she said, "Master, my sister Kong Qi couldn't bear it any longer when faced with such aggression and decided to fight back to protect what our father left her. Upon hearing about war, everyone in the Kong Family panicked."
"Because war meant they risked being killed. That night, someone from within the Kong Family colluded with the Tenth Prince, who surrounded their estate with troops. Many guards retreated that night; I will never forget that night when they killed many people and ultimately forced my sister into Qingyang Manor as a prisoner. Later on, my sister became despondent and contemplated suicide until just before she lost consciousness."
"A woman appeared before her and asked if she wanted revenge."
"My sister was filled with rage and resentment; she couldn't forgive those people but also knew her time was short. However, that woman could save her if she wanted revenge—she just had to follow her instructions. In the end, my sister agreed."
"I don't know how that woman brought my sister back to life, but ever since then, people have been disappearing from the city. Until one night, I saw my sister kill them with my own eyes. She had turned into a monster. That night, I saw a spider-like emblem on her palm. She became someone else entirely. She told me not to be afraid; those dead people were all traitors who sold out Qingyang City."
"My sister looked at the emblem on her palm. It granted her a strange power, but that power alone wasn't enough. She needed a lot of money to build an army, to kill everyone from the Doomed Court. Only then could she avenge herself. My sister began to pay attention to the Divine Dawn Ruins after searching for many years without success."
"Recently, I heard that someone retrieved Vermilion Bird Essence from the Divine Realm Rift, and that the person holding the Primordial Dan had also arrived in the Desolate Central Plain. So, my sister sent many monsters to attack the cities of the Desolate Central Plain in search of the Primordial Dan, and in the end, she brought you back."
---
In the dead of night, within Qingyang City, a patrol team of Qingyang City Soldiers was on duty. One soldier complained, "What bad luck; tonight is another key patrol night."
Another soldier sighed, "With those Green Demon Eagles disturbing the city, who else would take on such a thankless task?"
A third soldier chimed in, "Stop gossiping! The prince is very angry about this kind of thing; don’t let him hear you."
A dark cloud passed overhead as a flock of Green Demon Eagles flew by. The soldiers looked up in annoyance. "Look! Another group! These Green Demon Eagles are really unsettling; they’re staring at us like we’re rotting meat."
One soldier took out an explosive arrow and pretended to aim at the Green Demon Eagles in the sky. "So annoying! I want to kill a few."
Another soldier quickly stopped him. "Don't provoke them! Can you even hit them flying that high?"
The patrol captain spoke up, "Stop it! Don't waste explosive arrows."
As soon as the captain finished speaking, his head tilted to one side and fell off his body. Kong Qi transformed into a Green Demon Eagle and swooped down. "Who wanted to kill a Green Demon Eagle?"
The remaining soldiers immediately shouted, "Quick... kill it..."
Kong Qi's cold light flashed. "You think you can kill me?"
With a swipe of his claws, he charged several times, and a team of Patrolmen met their end in the Underworld Passage. A shadow elongated as it leaped onto a rooftop; this person had faintly glowing Buddhist beads on their wrist.
The figure stood on the rooftop and asked, "Are you Kong Qi?"
Kong Qi opened his eyes wide and replied, "Who are you? How do you know my identity?"
"I am Ji Zichen. The girl you took away is at Qingyang Manor?"
Upon seeing Ji Zichen's Buddhist beads, Kong Qi's eyes flickered with interest as he said, "The Five Elements Pearl? You really are Ji Zichen. Just in time, hand over the Vermilion Bird Essence, and I might spare your life."
Ji Zichen smiled lightly, unconcerned. "Why should I listen to the words of a creature that is neither human nor ghost?"
Kong Qi spread his wings wide and screeched, "You refuse to drink the wine offered and instead seek punishment!"
With that, Kong Qi swung his sharp claws toward Ji Zichen. The force behind the strike was formidable; if it landed, it would surely cause severe injury. Without hesitation, Ji Zichen drew her Demon-Slaying Sword to block the attack. The claws collided with the sword, sending Ji Zichen flying back several feet.
Kong Qi's curious gaze fixated on the Demon-Slaying Sword. "That sword possesses a peculiar power. However, unlike other Green Demon Eagles, my flesh is exceptionally tough."
Ji Zichen knew that Kong Qi was not merely bluffing. She had heard about the ambush from the Patrolman; even explosive arrows could not harm him in the slightest.
She thought to herself, "No matter how tough the flesh is, there must be a weak point. Let's test its abdomen first."
Ji Zichen shouted, "Four-Point Dragon God!"
Four fire dragons surged toward Kong Qi's abdomen. Seeing this, Kong Qi did not dare to confront the fire dragons head-on. Instead, he soared into the sky. The fire dragons followed closely as their target moved.
With a loud boom, it was as if fireworks had exploded in mid-air. Kong Qi plummeted like a meteor, crashing into the ground and creating a massive crater filled with smoke. Ji Zichen was unsure if Kong Qi had been injured; she did not rush forward. As the smoke began to clear, she saw Kong Qi standing up with only slight scorch marks on his abdomen. "That isn't a weak point," she remarked.
Kong Qi let out a strange laugh. "The fire dragons are nothing but this."
"Hey, monster! Your end is near!" Meng Hai shouted as he cracked his whip. "Ink Feather Vine Whip!"
As the thousand vine whips coiled around her, Kong Qi did not expect Meng Hai to appear behind her. Caught off guard, she found herself bound by the trembling vines. Kong Qi struggled to break free, but the vines were wrapped tightly and securely; there was no way for her to escape.
Meng Hai shouted, "Though her flesh is tough, just burn her insides!"
Seeing that Kong Qi had realized Meng Hai's intention, Ji Zichen acted without hesitation. He leaped forward, extending the Demon-Slaying Sword to pry open her mouth and commanded, "Do it again!"
As the fire dragon surged forth, it shot into the air through her mouth. A burnt smell emanated from Kong Qi as she hissed in pain, "Oh oh oh~~"
With the fire dragon entering her body, Kong Qi's eagle-like form turned a deep red. Noticing that the Ink Feather Whip was slightly warm, Meng Hai quickly retracted it. Kong Qi cried out in agony, feeling a piercing pain as her wings spread wide and she soared into the sky.
Ji Zichen called out, "Uncle Meng, why did you let go of it!"
Meng Hai replied with a wry smile, "I thought it was going to explode; I was afraid the flames would ruin my whip."
Seeing that the enemy had retreated, Ji Zichen could only calculate his next move. He noticed Meng Hai's timely appearance and said, "Uncle Meng, you were following me!"
Meng Hai chuckled, "Don't make it sound so harsh; I was worried you'd misuse the Demon-Slaying Sword again."
Ji Zichen sheathed the Demon-Slaying Sword and said, "I wouldn't use it unless absolutely necessary."
Meng Hai replied seriously, "If I hadn't come, that moment of necessity would have arrived."
A flicker of complex emotions crossed Ji Zichen's face as he clenched his fists tightly, visibly displeased. "My eyes won't burn out that quickly!"
Seeing his stubbornness, Meng Hai regarded him with a stern gaze and remained silent.
In the distance came urgent shouts: "The Green Demon Eagle is coming again! Quickly block the road!"
Ji Zichen discerned from the voices, "It's the Qingyang City Soldiers; they must have noticed us after that earlier strike in mid-air."
"Meng Haidao, let's hurry and leave. If the Qingyang City Soldiers see us here, it will cause unnecessary trouble."
Ji Zichen stated with clear intent, "We're going to Qingyang Manor; she must have escaped back there."
---
Lin Chuyu listened to Shilan's plea. She felt some sympathy for Kong Qi, but their safety was more important at the moment. Lin Chuyu scanned the surroundings; the doors and windows were wide open, and everything seemed normal. Gritting her teeth, she grabbed Shilan's hand and said, "While your sister isn't here, we need to leave quickly."
Just as they escaped the house, they saw Kong Qi plummeting from the sky, her injured eagle form descending rapidly. As soon as she hit the ground, she transformed back into her human shape. Kong Qi lay motionless in the courtyard outside, her body flushed red and her skin slightly wrinkled as if she had suffered severe burns. Her face was twisted in pain.
Having followed Kong Qi for many years, Shilan couldn't abandon her. She released Lin Chuyu's hand and rushed to Kong Qi's side, crying out, "Sister, what happened to you?"
As soon as Kong Qi landed, she could no longer hold on and collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath. Her voice was hoarse as she pleaded, "Shilan... don't leave me... you're all I have left..."
"Caw! Caw!"
A flock of Green Demon Eagles appeared in the sky above the courtyard. Upon seeing them, Shilan's face turned pale.
Lin Chuyu sensed the danger and exclaimed, "This is bad! The Green Demon Eagles are waiting for your sister to take her last breath; they're about to start feeding on people!"
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