The summer shower had just left, and the remaining raindrops on the eaves were slowly dripping.
In front of the inn door with the plaque of " Immortal Monarch Pavilion ", two black horses stopped. Gu Mingxin's junior brother got off the horse and asked the waiter to lead the horses to the stables behind.
Gu Mingxin turned her head slightly to the side and glanced back at the silver-haired girl who had just passed by. Seeing that she had stopped in her tracks and was looking at her, she quickly transmitted Xue'e a reminder. "Xue'e, don't show yourself."
"Mingxin, don't worry, I know. The world is really small. It's so rare for you to go out on a long trip through the four regions and we still ran into each other."
"...Middle stage Foundation Building , and that silver hair... I guess she also has the blood of the Holy Emperor, and she may have other magical weapons. Can we kill her?"
"I'm afraid it will be difficult inside the city. This is the capital city of the Imperial Sect after all. Once a fight breaks out, you will not only have to deal with her but also with the Justice Division and the City Guards. But outside of the city... I will think of a way."
"Good..."
Gu Mingxin narrowed her eyes slightly, then looked away and dismounted before throwing the horse reins to the waiter who came to greet her. Then, she stepped across the threshold and entered.
The first floor of the inn was not large. There were five square tables, four of which were occupied by six or seven people. They were either exchanging gossip about the Demon Clan or playing dice and drinking. It was quite animated.
Gu Mingxin slightly held up the bamboo hat with her fingers, glanced around, and her eyes rested on the table that still had vacant seats.
There was a pot of tea and two jade teacups on the table, and correspondingly there were two young cultivators, a man and a woman. They looked like a young cultivator couple who were here for some fun.
The girl was petite, had light lavender hair, and wore a long blue dress.
The young man was wearing a purple robe and had deep purple eyes that didn't reveal anything. His face had features both sharp and delicate, with a touch of childishness. He was really handsome.
Gu Mingxin couldn't stop glancing at her brother and comparing him to the young man.
Her brother, by the name Xu Mo, was also the man with the most beautiful unblemished face in the Heavenly Demonic Sect. Gu Mingxin thought before that there shouldn't exist a man more handsome than him in the world, but now, she had to review that assessment.
If this young man could be brought back to the Eastern Region and sent to a public auction, it would be enough for all female cultivators to go bankrupt trying to take him home.
"Wow~ What a handsome young man..."
Even Xue'e couldn't help but praise him.
Gu Mingxin smiled slightly and stepped forward. She was about to ask if they could share the table when the young man raised his hand and used his spiritual power to turn over the two upside-down jade teacups in the middle of the table, positioning them in two locations on the square table.
Ye Anping looked at her and raised his teacup in greeting. "Fellow cultivators, make yourselves at home. No need to be formal."
Gu Mingxin was slightly taken aback, but quickly came back to her senses and nodded back. "Many thanks."
She walked to the table, pulled out the bench, and sat down. Then, she removed her hat and shook off her long dark hair that was knotted into a bun. Resting her elbows on the table, she tilted her head to look at Ye Anping.
The red eyes half narrowed with a touch of charm.
"This is the first time that I've seen such a handsome man like you. How should I call you?"
As soon as these words came out, Xu Mo, who had just sat down opposite Ye Anping, frowned and glared at him with hostile eyes.
Ye Anping noticed it, and feeling somewhat speechless, he replied with a smile, "Senior is joking. If you compliment me like that, your fellow cultivator traveling with you will not be very happy."
"I'm just telling the truth." Gu Mingxin covered her mouth, chuckling, then asked, "Then, how should I call you?"
Ye Anping smiled back. "My surname is Liang, and I am the sixth in the family, so I am called Xiaoliu."
"Liang Xiaoliu... This name doesn't match the Young Master's face. Is it a fake name?"
"You're smart. Yes, a fake name may be needed when you go out." Ye Anping cupped his hands and smiled. "But I am indeed the sixth brother."
"So, you have five older brothers. But are they all as handsome as you, Young Master?"
"Hehe, my second, third, fourth, and fifth brothers died young, but the eldest brother is even more handsome than me. It can be said that he is the crown jewel, a hidden dragon."
Saying this, Ye Anping turned to look at the innkeeper who was fiddling with the abacus at the counter, only to see him raise his head and glare at him with a speechless expression.
However, seeing Ye Anping's eyes, the 'innkeeper' immediately understood the message: --- The guests have arrived.
Gu Mingxin followed his gaze to the counter and found nothing unusual. She then shifted her eyes to the face of the petite girl with long lavender hair who sat across from her.
Xiao Yunluo was very nervous at the moment. When she saw her looking over, she quickly lowered her gaze and moved her butt closer to Ye Anping.
"Why is this girl so nervous?"
Ye Anping looked at Xiao Yunluo and explained, "My sister is quite shy when meeting strangers, that's why Master asked me to accompany her to experience the world."
"So, why should she be so nervous?" Gu Mingxin smiled. "Do you think I am a difficult person to get along with?"
"Ah..."
Xiao Yunluo looked at Ye Anping and saw him signaling with his eyes that he wanted her to chat more with Gu Mingxin. After taking a deep breath, she said, "My name... is... Si Xuanji. Sister, just call me Xuanji..."
?
Ye Anping was taken aback when he heard this name but didn't show any reaction, and instead looked around.
When he first encountered Feng Yu Die, Xiao Tian had been floating beside her, so from the time Gu Mingxin came in, he had been paying attention to the surroundings, trying to find her artifact spirit of that Heavenly Demonic Scroll .
But right now, it seemed that there wasn't one, or maybe he couldn't see it?
If it was the latter, Feng Yu Die might not be able to see it either. In this case, if she let the spirit go through her storage bag without knowing anything about it, she would be in the dark and in a very passive situation.
However, there was no turning back now.
If the bow was drawn, then it's time to shoot.
Ye Anping glanced outside the gate and saw that most of the people on the street were gone, so he used his left hand hidden under the table to signal Liang Zhu, who was standing behind the counter and pretending to be the innkeeper.
Seeing this, Liang Zhu lowered his head and put away the abacus. He then took a warm wine bottle set aside, stepped out from behind the counter, and in a small circle walked behind Gu Mingxin, smiling. "Sir, the peach blossom wine you just ordered."
Gu Mingxin was casually chatting with Xiao Yunluo about some household matters.
Seeing that Liang Zhu was already in place, Ye Anping interrupted them with a smile. "Miss, we have already told you our names. May I ask what's yours?"
"Hmm? My name..." Gu Mingxin looked at Ye Anping, thought for a moment, and said with a smile, "Master Liang used a pseudonym. How about you give me a pseudonym too?"
"You want me to choose a name for you?"
Gu Mingxin looked at Ye Anping, propping her face. "Well... if it's not too much trouble for Master Liang."
Ye Anping thought for a moment, stared into her eyes, then said, "Then, how about I call you 'Gu Mingxin'?"
"..."
The moment these words fell, Gu Mingxin's red pupils shrank into a small hole, and Ye Anping's gentle smile which previously made her feel comfortable, suddenly seemed dangerous.
As for Xu Mo, sitting opposite Ye Anping, he looked frightened.
The two people's attention was drawn to Ye Anping in an instant, and they did not notice at all that the 'innkeeper' standing behind them drew out a dagger embedded with several spirit beads from underneath the tray he was holding.
The tray, along with the pot of wine on it, flew up, and Liang Zhu caught the dagger in reverse, aiming to stab Gu Mingxin in the back of the head.
"Mingxin! Behind you!!"
Swish---
There was a flash of silver light.
The silver dagger stabbed directly into the thick black hair scattered on Gu Mingxin's back, but it only left a shallow bloody gash on the right side of her neck.
The moment Gu Mingxin heard Xue'e's warning in her mind, she dodged three inches to the side, just enough to move her neck out of the way of Liang Zhu's dagger.
Seeing the dagger passing by her ear, Gu Mingxin's red eyes cast toward Liang Zhu with murderous intent.
At the same time, Xiao Yunluo, who was sitting opposite Gu Mingxin, pulled out a sword from her storage bag, kicked the table away, and stabbed the sword straight toward Gu Mingxin's face.
But at this moment, Ye Anping frowned and immediately shouted, "Retreat!!"
"Ah?!"
Puzzled, Xiao Yunluo looked at Ye Anping, only to see he had already jumped back in one step.
She had listened very carefully as Ye Anping laid out his plan before.
He said very clearly that after Big Brother Liang made his move, she and Ye Anping would combine their efforts to attack Gu Mingxin, allowing Brother Liang to take the opportunity to capture the accompanying disciple of the Heavenly Demonic Sect.
But now, Ye Anping had suddenly shouted "Retreat" .
There is no turning back when the bow is drawn.
She had already drawn her sword and there was no way to retreat.
However, Liang Zhu seemed to have expected this to happen. His eyes were very calm as he switched the grip on the dagger in his right hand, and directly hit Xu Mo's forehead with the handle of the dagger.
Bang---
Xu Mo didn't react at all. When he was hit by the dagger, his vision turned black. Then, Liang Zhu clamped his neck with his left arm and pulled him away from his seat.
The next moment, a blood-colored sword appeared out of nowhere in Gu Mingxin's hand.
Several rays of blood-red sword light scattered in all directions, cutting into pieces everything within ten feet.
Ye Anping and Liang Zhu with Xu Mo retreated just in time and narrowly escaped the sudden burst of sword light, but Xiao Yunluo was in dire straits.
Ding---
Sparks burst out.
Gu Mingxin's blood-colored sword easily blocked her thrust, and then counterattacked, aiming at several vital points on Xiao Yunluo's body.
In her red eyes, there was no mercy, and every sword was aimed at cutting off Xiao Yunluo's head and limbs.
Facing the several blood-red sword shadows coming toward her at the same time, Xiao Yunluo's pupils shrank, and the moment in the past when Ye Anping attacked her with the sword suddenly flashed through her mind.
At that time, she was so scared that her legs went weak, and she even screamed out in fear.
But now...
She was no longer the same person she was then.
"Hiss--"
Xiao Yunluo slightly opened her mouth and exhaled a wisp of white mist. Her trembling pupils stabilized instantly, and her fingers that were about to let go of the sword hilt clenched tightly.
Swish---
Ding ding ding---
The silver and the bloody spiritual swords collided in mid-air.
Boom---!
The explosion from the clash of spiritual energy shattered the porcelain plates and jade dishes on the tables, and rays of spiritual light pierced through the roof of the inn, scattering tiles hundreds of feet into the air.
Xiao Yunluo blocked Gu Mingxin's sword and immediately followed up on it, hoping to use this opportunity.
In a battle between sword cultivators, whoever took the initiative naturally had a better chance of winning.
However, just when she sent her spiritual power into her sword and aimed it toward Gu Mingxin's neck...
Click---
The sword flashed with sparks and broke directly. The front half of the sword stabbed into the wall next to it. Xiao Yunluo only had an ordinary sword in her hand, but it just passed three inches from Gu Mingxin's neck.
"Heh... quite impressive."
Gu Mingxin smiled slightly, and, turning around, she positioned herself behind Xiao Yunluo, grabbed her neck with her arm, and quickly led her out the door.
"Mingxin, don't kill her. This girl uses the Black Star Sect sword technique, and her status is definitely not low."
"I can tell."
Gu Mingxin clicked her tongue slightly. She didn't know how her identity and whereabouts were exposed, but she had fallen into a trap. Judging from what happened earlier with that young man, this trap should have been specially set up for her.
She estimated that there were probably ambushes on the streets, and the east gate must have been closed.
Without a bargaining chip, she would never be able to fight her way out of the city. What's more, if the Emperor of the Central Region or the powerful cultivators in the city were alerted, she would definitely die.
However, although Gu Mingxin was already mentally prepared when she came out of the inn, she was still shocked by the scene outside.
On each side of the street, there were now five Justice Division officers in the Core Formation stage and dozens of people in the mid-to-late Foundation Building stage waiting in the sky on flying swords.
"This is a bit too much."
Swish---
Gu Mingxin frowned slightly and landed in the middle of the street. When she saw the Division people holding all kinds of spiritual treasures and weapons, she immediately pressed her sword against Xiao Yunluo's neck.
Ye Anping and Liang Zhu, who had come out earlier, were standing side by side as if they had been waiting for a long time.
While she put the sword on Xiao Yunluo's neck, Liang Zhu also placed his dagger at Xu Mo's neck.
"Sister! Are you okay..."
"Don't talk."
Liang Zhu lowered his eyes to Xu Mo and harshly reprimanded him. The dagger had already cut half an inch into his neck, and blood flowed down the edge of the blade, staining his collar red.
However, Gu Mingxin only looked at her brother with a smile on her face. "You immortal cultivators are really despicable, actually using my brother to threaten me."
"And you're no better." Ye Anping smiled. Looking at Xiao Yunluo's fearful eyes, his expression did not change much. "Dear Miss Gu, aren't you also using my sister to threaten me?"
Hearing this address, Gu Mingxin frowned slightly, showing a little dissatisfaction. The only person in this world who could call her "dear" was her master; no one else was qualified.
But now, she was surrounded on all sides, and she knew that if she lost her temper in anger, she would surely fall here.
Ye Anping took a step forward, threw the sword in his hand to the side, and said, "Dear Miss Gu, stop it. You can't escape. If you let my sister go, how about I leave you and your brother alive?"
"Master Liang, you really can't be judged by appearance. I have long heard that the methods of immortal cultivators are dirty. Today, I saw it with my own eyes."
"Then, you should see something else."
Ye Anping smiled, waved his sword finger, and then two spiritual lights, one golden and one blue, shot up into the sky from both ends of the street, forming a blanket of spiritual energy that enveloped the entire street.
Gu Mingxin glanced upward, and at the same time, Xue'e transmitted her voice. "Mingxin, this is the Gate of Eight Trigrams method. There is no way to escape."
"Tsk..."
"Well? Do you choose to surrender, or should we just waste the time here until the Justice Division Commander or the Emperor arrives, and then we can capture you and show no mercy?"