“I-I-I… nearly scared myself to death! You, you rotten Daoist, where on earth have you taken me? Waaaah!” Flower Iron collapsed to the ground, her massive iron hammer slipping from her grasp and rolling away, her cries scattering her thick makeup all over the place.
Meanwhile, A-Zhao was still following the dark shadow as it weaved through the Foreign City. Suddenly, the shadow leapt over a wall into a courtyard, and just as A-Zhao was about to follow, a fierce blade energy shot out from within, heading straight for him.
Though the spiritual power behind the blade was not overwhelming, it carried a heavy, menacing aura. A-Zhao quickly leapt back several yards, narrowly avoiding it, yet still felt a surge of turbulence in his spiritual energy. Before he could regain his balance, the courtyard ahead of him lit up with torches. As the flames fully illuminated the area, A-Zhao’s expression shifted to one of stunned surprise.
In front of him was none other than the Royal Palace of the Foreign King!
Before A-Zhao could process what was happening, the palace doors swung open, and a figure slowly emerged. It was Wu Zhao, the deputy general who had greeted the immortals and demons at the city gates the previous night.
“Who dares intrude upon the royal palace under the cover of darkness?” Wu Zhao gripped the hilt of his blade, closing the distance between himself and A-Zhao to only three steps. “An immortal clan disciple?”
Wu Zhao’s stature was not imposing compared to most of his kin, but a long scar ran from his brow to the corner of his mouth, giving him an intensely fearsome look.
“Zhong Zhao of the Remote Sect greets General Wu Zhao,” A-Zhao said, bowing in respect.
“Remote Sect? Didn’t expect a minor border sect to produce a disciple like you.” Wu Zhao sized up A-Zhao. “Last night, I didn’t sense much spiritual power from you. Seems you were holding back, weren’t you, boy?”
“I would never dare,” A-Zhao replied.
“Spare me the excuses. Kid, you took a strike from me and withstood it. I daresay your skills aren’t much worse than those Kunlun or Yun Xiao peacocks. But don’t think that means you can do as you please in my Foreign City. How many lives do you think you have, sneaking into the royal palace in the dead of night?”
“Please forgive me, General. I meant no offense to His Majesty,” A-Zhao quickly explained. “Just now, while I was in the city, I sensed the presence of an evil spirit. I followed its trail here and saw it enter the palace. That’s why—”
“Utter nonsense! What evil spirit?” Wu Zhao interrupted coldly. “You’re just looking for an excuse to sneak in here and search for the Wutong Heartfire, aren’t you?”
“General, that was not my intention…”
“Immortals are always full of schemes,” Wu Zhao sneered. “Let me tell you something. A thousand years ago, His Majesty Twilight set up the Spirit-Sealing Array under this city to protect us. This seal suppresses not only the spiritual powers of both the immortal and demon clans, but it’s also the bane of evil spirits. The moment any evil force enters the city, the array would sound the alarm and eliminate it. Not even a demon could break through our gates, let alone some evil spirit.”
A-Zhao paused, frowning. The Spirit-Sealing Array was indeed created by the former Heavenly Emperor Twilight. It was unparalleled by any power short of divinity and could eradicate all forms of malice. With the array protecting the city, it should indeed be impossible for any evil spirits to infiltrate. Could he have been mistaken?
“If there is indeed the Spirit-Sealing Array, then it must have been my mistake. I apologize for any offense and ask for the General’s understanding.”
“Focus on finding the Wutong Heartfire. If you trespass in the palace again, I won’t let it slide so easily.” With a cold huff, Wu Zhao turned and strode back through the palace doors.
With a loud bang, the doors shut tight. A-Zhao was about to leave when a figure landed behind him.
“Senior Brother!” Er Yun approached hurriedly, his face filled with worry. “What’s going on? What are you doing alone at the Foreign King’s palace in the middle of the night?”
“It’s nothing,” A-Zhao shook his head, glancing down at the bamboo flute on his chest. It lay silent, and there was no trace of the malevolent energy he had sensed earlier.
Casting one last look back at the Foreign King’s palace, A-Zhao guided Er Yun away.
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