Upon entering the village, Qin Shuang could feel a chill lingering in the air.
She opened her mouth, about to say sothing, but was cut off by Shen Bai’s words.
Shen Bai’s gaze wasn’t on Magistrate Li; instead, he was sizing up the Dark Venerable Envoy.
After observing for a mont, the corners of Shen Bai’s mouth turned up slightly.
"It seems you really want Magistrate Li to die."
At these words, not only Qin Shuang but even Magistrate Li himself was stunned.
The Dark Venerable Envoy licked her lips charmingly. "And what do you an by that?"
Shen Bai smiled. "You’re an expert with shadows. To be able to create a fake person from them... truly impressive."
As soon as he said this, the scene beca as silent as a graveyard.
Magistrate Li whipped his head around, staring at the Dark Venerable Envoy in astonishnt, his finger trembling slightly. "You... you’re a shadow!"
The Dark Venerable Envoy shook her head regretfully. "I didn’t expect to be seen through. But it doesn’t matter anymore."
At that mont, the Dark Venerable Envoy’s figure, like a phantom bubble, began to gradually fade into nothingness.
Magistrate Li reached out to grab her, but it felt like grasping at the moon’s reflection in water—there was nothing to hold onto.
"You’ve abandoned !"
"Why?! I’ve done so much for the Upper Evil Sect!"
"Why!"
The Dark Venerable Envoy watched the roaring Magistrate Li, a smile on her face. She pretended to smooth back a non-existent strand of hair and giggled. "You should first understand the principle of the Upper Evil Sect. We’ve always advocated that human nature is inherently evil. Isn’t doing a few bad things what we’re supposed to do?"
"As for you, Shen Bai, I didn’t expect you to see through my shadow. But no matter. I’ll be waiting for you later."
As her voice faded, the Dark Venerable Envoy’s figure vanished completely.
In the Deserted Village, only Magistrate Li’s crazed roars remained.
Shen Bai watched the Dark Venerable Envoy disappear and said, "Alright, that’s enough shouting."
The roaring Magistrate Li abruptly stopped. Then, he suddenly dropped to his knees with a THUD.
"Spare , I beg you, spare ! I was muddle-headed for a mont..."
"They forced to do it! I had just taken office. They threatened with the lives of the entire city’s people. I had no choice."
"I sank deeper and deeper, like in quicksand. I couldn’t break free! Let go, and I swear I’ll be a good man. I’ll dedicate my life to Shengyun County."
With tears and snot streaming down his face, Magistrate Li begged for rcy relentlessly.
Qin Shuang’s gaze was cold. "After so many years and so many lives lost... you’re begging for rcy now? If we let you go, how could those departed souls ever rest in peace?"
Magistrate Li was dumbstruck. "But at least... I improved all of Shengyun County’s performance trics."
Qin Shuang shook her head. "trics? And where did the benefits of those trics end up? Surrender now, cripple your own abilities, and return with to the Observatory."
"Cripple my own abilities?"
Magistrate Li stood up and laughed maniacally. "All my years of planning, all my years of hard work... and you want to throw it all away with a single sentence?"
"Co! If I can’t live today, then let’s fight to the death! Both of you, co at ! Even if I die, I’ll take a piece of you with !"
Characters began to swirl around Magistrate Li’s body.
"Too much nonsense."
Shen Bai glanced over, then thrust his sword forward.
A crescent of blood-red Sword Qi shot out, reaching him in an instant.
The Sword Qi pierced through Magistrate Li’s chest. He stared wide-eyed, his face a mask of disbelief.
"How is this possible... Back at the Governnt Office, I could still block one of your punches."
Just a short while ago, during the conflict at the Governnt Office, Magistrate Li had managed to block a punch from Shen Bai. But now, it took only a single sword strike.
He found it unbelievable, but the pain in his chest was a harsh reality, like a vicious slap to the face.
Shen Bai said coolly, "I was just playing with you. Did you really take it seriously?"
Qin Shuang watched all of this unfold without a word. She had grown numb to Shen Bai’s ability to kill in an instant.
Having seen it so often, she was naturally numb to it. Qin Shuang knew very well that this mysterious man was always full of surprises.
The light of life was fading from Magistrate Li’s eyes. He collapsed to the ground, his face ashen and wrinkled like tree bark.
"I originally wanted to be a good official..."
"But... so things, once you do them once, you do them twice. And after twice, it becos countless tis. I couldn’t get out!"
"I was wrong... but I was like a butterfly caught in a spider’s web. I couldn’t break free."
"I..."
Magistrate Li couldn’t say any more. He was now a corpse.
Shen Bai sheathed his Longsword and felt the cracks on its blade. ’In the end, it’s just a Mortal Sword.’
Even though he had been very careful, the weapon was ultimately just an ordinary longsword. After withstanding the Sword Qi of his Blood Sword Dance so many tis, it had started to crack.
Qin Shuang remarked casually, "Join the Observatory, and you can take your pick of Divine Weapons."
Shen Bai smiled. "Dealing with the Dark Venerable Envoy is more important right now."
Qin Shuang mused, "We’re out of leads."
The vegetable patch was supposed to be a clue, but it turned out to be a fake.
Magistrate Li was also a lead, but now he’s dead.
Now, it seems the trail has gone cold.
Shen Bai said, "If we have no leads, let’s head back to Shengyun County for now and wait..."
Shen Bai didn’t finish his sentence.
BOOM!
A violent roar echoed from the direction of Shengyun County, faint but audible even from their position in the Deserted Village.
Shen Bai’s eyes narrowed. "Back to Shengyun County."
From the sound of it, sothing had happened in Shengyun County.
Qin Shuang sensed it too. Without another word, she took out the fan from before.
"Let’s go!"
As soon as the fan appeared, it grew to the size of her forearm. With a wave from Qin Shuang, a fierce gust of wind kicked up.
Carried by the wind, Qin Shuang’s speed increased dramatically as she raced toward Shengyun County.
Shen Bai activated Divine Hundred Miles, transforming into a series of afterimages. Like a traveler in the night, he vanished from the Deserted Village.
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