Chapter 55

Zhaoyun stood at the entrance of the classroom, took a deep breath, and firmly held the letter containing secrets that his mother had given him.

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*Zhuang...*

The sound of the zither was an indiscriminate attack; there were always one or two that Zhaoyun couldn't avoid, leaving many bloodstains on his body. The wounds were finer than a hair.

In addition, there was a kind of magic.

The zither's sound had a magical quality, like the bewitching chime of a bell, capable of扰乱心神.

Suddenly, the zither's sound became beautiful again, devoid of any killing intent.

"First level of the True Spirit Realm, and you can withstand my Green Lotus Melody. You are quite extraordinary." The woman in green opened her lips slightly, her words as beautiful as her zither's sound. As she spoke, she continued to gently pluck the strings, her green sleeves fluttering gracefully.

"I didn't mean to disturb you."

Zhaoyun clasped his hands and turned to leave. This woman was too eerie.

"You think you can leave after entering the City Lord's residence?"

The woman in green smiled lightly, continuing to play the zither throughout.

"Miss?"

Sure enough, before Zhaoyun could speak, a call came from outside the garden wall. The sound of footsteps indicated that there were quite a few people, and among them were several at the Profound Sun Realm.

"I'm fine." The woman in green replied calmly.

The guards heard her and led their teams away, the entire residence lit by torches.

"Is this the City Lord's residence?"

Zhaoyun frowned, standing still. If the woman in green called out, even if he had ten lives, he wouldn't be able to escape. There were too many strong people here.

The City Lord's residence was no ordinary place.

The woman in green finally stopped, walked out of the pavilion, and her lotus-like steps brought a faint, refreshing fragrance that was invigorating.

"At least the seventh level of the True Spirit Realm."

Zhaoyun muttered, able to faintly sense the woman's cultivation. She was far from an ordinary True Spirit Realm practitioner. If they were to fight, without using explosive talismans, he might not be able to win.

"Night Lone Wolf?" The woman in green smiled lightly.

"No." Zhaoyun coughed, shaking his head like a rattle drum.

"Hmm... Indeed not, I recognize his aura."

The woman in green smiled, sitting at the stone table and pouring two cups of ancient tea. Her meaning was clear: you must be tired from your night's work, sit down and have a cup of tea.

"Have you seen the Lone Wolf?" Zhaoyun sat down.

"I met him once, but he escaped." The woman in green smiled slightly.

"That's truly a pity."

As Zhaoyun spoke, his eyes darted around. The garden seemed to be full of traps. If he stepped wrong, he would fall into one and die.

"Such strength, from which family?"

The woman in green smiled at Zhaoyun, able to recognize his cultivation but not his true appearance, as Zhaoyun wore a human skin mask, not showing his true self.

"Just a wandering cultivator."

Zhaoyun chuckled, getting up and trying to leave again.

"Am I that scary?"

The woman in green propped her cheek with one hand, smiling at Zhaoyun.

"Very beautiful."

Zhaoyun laughed dryly, sitting back down. Her smiling expression had many implications. If he dared to leave, she would cry out, and he would be beaten to ashes by the City Lord's guards.

The residence was not like the Liu family's money house; once in, it might be hard to leave. He didn't know how he had entered so smoothly earlier, but now it was a different story.

"You are a weapon refiner, right?"

The woman in green sipped her tea, her voice still as beautiful as ever.

"No."

"Lying, I can smell your lightning, and it's not ordinary lightning."

"If you say so, then maybe I am."

Zhaoyun laughed awkwardly, feeling a bit alarmed. This woman had a very keen sense of smell!

"Help me refine something, and I'll let you go."

The woman in green smiled, pouring and drinking tea, her hair moving without wind.

"Can we do it another day?"

Zhaoyun laughed, genuinely having something to do. He had planned to leave the city once he was healed, to find Xiaohēi and the others. It was unfortunate that this happened.

If he had known, he would have left earlier.

"The city is sealed by my father. Even if you can leave the City Lord's residence, you can't leave Qingfeng City." The woman in green smiled, "Wall-penetrating and earth-burrowing won't work under the city walls."

"That's not certain."

"Yang Kui."

As Zhaoyun spoke, the woman in green called out.

*Whoosh!*

Immediately, a sound came from outside the garden wall, indicating that someone was approaching.

"Refine, refine, refine."

Zhaoyun hurriedly gestured, knowing what the woman was up to. It was a serious threat. If he dared to argue, Yang Kui would come in.

"That's better." The woman in green smiled.

"Miss?" A tentative call came from outside the garden.

"Rest early."

The woman in green coughed, replying.

*Hmm...*

Yang Kui's mouth twitched, scratching his head and walking away, looking confused.

How awkward.

"With your status, you could find a stronger weapon refiner. Why choose me, a True Spirit Realm cultivator?" Zhaoyun whispered, "I'm just a half-baked one."

"Status doesn't matter; what matters is the lightning." The woman said, "I've seen many kinds of lightning, but such a domineering one is the first I've seen."

"Understood." Zhaoyun took a sip of tea.

"It's late, we'll refine it tomorrow." The woman in green stood up, pointing to a pavilion, "Stay there. Also, don't wander around at night or try to escape. Once in the City Lord's residence, it's not easy to leave."

"Sure."

Zhaoyun also stood up, knowing he couldn't escape. The City Lord's residence was too strange, as if it had some bizarre array, constantly changing.

Without much thought, he entered the pavilion.

As for Xiaohēi and the others, as long as Niuhong used his head, nothing serious would happen. Finding an ancient city to hide in would be a good idea.

Indeed, Niuhong wasn't stupid.

The horse team moved slowly, still far from Wanggu Ancient City. They found a city to rest in, and the little fatty went to the mountain forest, searching for Zhaoyun.

"Run, why aren't you running?"

The City Lord's residence was quiet, but Qingfeng City was still bustling, with constant shouting.

The black-clothed man was caught.

Like Zhaoyun, he was mistaken for the Lone Wolf, but he didn't have Zhaoyun's luck or resources. He ran fast but was still caught.

The bounty!

The martial cultivators were shouting, surrounding the black-clothed man tightly.

"I'm not the Lone Wolf."

The black-clothed man was scared to tears. He had only stolen a few hundred taels, how did he become the Lone Wolf?

He couldn't bear such a charge.

The army was mobilized, and it wasn't a simple matter. He might lose his life.

"Take him away."

The City Lord of Qingfeng City arrived, his cold snort like thunder, full of authority.

"What about the bounty?"

Someone asked quietly, apparently the one who caught the black-clothed man.

"Once his identity is confirmed, the bounty will be given." The City Lord's guard spoke, unsure if he was the Lone Wolf. They heard there were two Lone Wolves, and one was still at large.

"Search, find the other one."

The City Lord of Qingfeng City snorted coldly, his anger not just a little. He had been under pressure from his superiors, and he hated the Lone Wolf with a passion.

Soon, the army entered the city.

Under the moonlight, the sound of footsteps was noisy. Almost every street had armed guards, searching house by house, taking away any suspicious individuals.

Zhaoyun was particularly busy that night.

The table was covered with talismans, and he was drawing explosive talismans frantically. If he helped the woman in green and she didn't let him go, he would have to use force, and the explosive talismans were his reliance.

The night passed quietly, and dawn arrived quickly.

In the morning, Zhaoyun left his room early, stretching lazily.

He had dark circles under his eyes, clearly from lack of sleep or from not daring to sleep at all.

The woman in green was already drinking tea in the pavilion. Seeing his bear-like appearance, she raised an eyebrow. Did he not sleep well, or did he not dare to sleep at all?

"I don't know your name yet."

Zhaoyun yawned, sitting down listlessly.

"Qingyao."

"Nice name."

Zhaoyun opened his mouth, yawning again.

Qingyao only smiled, glancing at Zhaoyun's chest, wondering what he had stuffed in there.

What else, explosive talismans!

Young Master Zhao had drawn a lot of explosive talismans that night.

Yes, they were all in his chest pocket.

If Qingyao knew, she would have been shocked, covering her mouth with her hand.

"What do you want me to refine?" Zhaoyun asked.

"That." Qingyao pointed to the plain zither on the stone table.

Zhaoyun saw it and narrowed his eyes.

This zither was not ordinary. It was ancient and natural, and even without playing it, it seemed to emit a sound. Each string seemed to shimmer, and the patterns carved on it were extremely strange.

"There is a mark on the zither, the mark of its previous owner." Qingyao said slowly, "Use your lightning to refine that mark, and the task will be complete."

"A single mark, the City Lord of Qingfeng City can't remove it?"

Zhaoyun asked, examining the ancient zither, occasionally touching it. The zither was extremely cold, likely made from extremely cold celestial wood, and the strings were not ordinary. With his experience, he couldn't identify them.

"I can remove it, but it would damage the zither." Qingyao said, "I've tried many kinds of lightning, but none were powerful enough to remove the mark. Your lightning might work."

"What if I ruin it?" Zhaoyun coughed.

"You are a weapon refiner, how could you ruin it?" Qingyao smiled, making Zhaoyun feel a cold breeze. If he ruined it, he wouldn't be allowed to leave.

"Miss, Miss Ruyue has arrived."

Just then, a voice came from outside the garden, likely Yang Kui from the night before.

"Quick, please her in."

Qingyao smiled, standing up and adjusting her clothes.

"This zither is truly remarkable."

Zhaoyun buried his head, still studying it. The zither was at least a thousand years old, a genuine antique. Combined with the zither technique, it could kill silently. He had witnessed its power the previous night, and it was quite formidable.

As for the mark, he could see it clearly.

The mark was actually an extremely ancient one, likely formed by the previous owner's blood over time. Like his Longyuan sword, if he nurtured it with blood daily, it would eventually form a mark. The owner could use it well, but if someone else used it, its power would be greatly reduced.

This was why Qingyao asked him to refine the mark.

With the mark in the zither, it wasn't truly hers. Using the zither technique would be interfered with by the mark, reducing its effectiveness. If the mark hadn't been there the previous night, he might not have been able to withstand the Green Lotus Melody.

"Qingyao, I've come to see you."

A light figure entered the garden, her white clothes fluttering, her steps graceful.

Zhaoyun heard this and turned his head subconsciously.

The person who arrived was a familiar face, someone he knew very well: Liu Ruyue.