Chapter 39

*Puff puff*! The two maids walking towards him were killed by Hu Changqing with a swift slash of his hand. He felt a surge of brutality, thinking that he just wanted to kill!

"Changqing, what's wrong with you?" A woman with high cheekbones and heavy makeup appeared before him. Behind her were two maids who didn't seem to be good-natured. The three of them looked at Hu Changqing in shock, not quite understanding the situation!

"This woman is so annoying!" He had this thought in his mind. "Die!" He shouted fiercely and with one dagger, he severed the head of the main wife! Blood splattered on his face, and his vision turned red. The only thought left in his mind was: "Kill, kill all these bastards!"

"Mommy!" The two extremely tough maids, who usually didn't think much of their lady's meek husband, were now terrified by his demonic appearance and screamed in shock.

"Something's wrong!" The guards outside heard the scream and reacted quickly, rushing in like a gust of wind. They saw Hu Changqing waving his dagger and severing the heads of the two maids in a gruesome scene!

"Oh my god!" The guards were momentarily stunned. Although their squad leader was covered in blood, his physique was still visible.

"The captain has gone mad!" one guard shouted in shock, looking at the woman's head on the ground. Wasn't one of them the captain's wife who usually bossed everyone around? Her eyes were wide open, staring ahead as if trying to grab something! The guards' faces turned pale at the sight.

"Restrain him!" someone said calmly.

"Die!" Hu Changqing roared and stabbed himself in the thigh with the dagger! Blood spurted out, but he laughed maniacally. He looked so insane! The guards felt a chill run down their spines; the situation was too bizarre. Even these seasoned warriors were intimidated!

"Grab him, don't let him hurt himself!" someone shouted.

The guards shouted in unison and rushed forward, quickly restraining Hu Changqing and taking the dagger from his hand. They bound him tightly with leather ropes!

"Go and inform the commander that Captain Hu has suddenly gone mad. Ask him to find the best physician to treat him. Hurry!"

One of Hu Changqing's subordinates shouted loudly. Immediately, several guards rushed out in the rain.

Yun Mo put on his waterproof clothes, hearing the commotion from the building. He knew the mind-altering liquid had taken effect!

"Hmph, a life worse than death is the most terrifying. Enjoy your brilliant afterlife!" Yun Mo muttered, then plunged into the lake and swam towards the opposite shore.

...

Commander Gongsun Furan was feeling uneasy today, always feeling a sense of foreboding, as if something bad was about to happen, but he couldn't pinpoint anything, which frustrated him greatly.

Gongsun's assigned residence was located in the northwest of the city lord's mansion, a luxurious estate covering several hundred thousand square meters! It had pavilions, terraces, and streams, all the amenities one could desire. The ancient and simple residence where he issued the order to kill Yun Mo last night was another of his homes, which he had bought himself. So, he had two official residences in the mansion, and secretly, he had two more where he kept his mistresses, even his concubines didn't know about them!

This luxurious estate was where his family mainly lived, while the other residence was where he occasionally stayed to handle personal matters.

Although the two residences had different decoration styles, they both had various warning and trap mechanisms! The main residence always had a thousand guards on duty, making it extremely secure. Without the cultivation of a Heaven's Favor, it would be impossible to break in!

Gongsun Furan was extremely cautious in his actions. Although he loved money, he always handled things cleanly and efficiently. However, last night's mission had failed, which frustrated him greatly. He even considered killing Yun Mo himself, but Yun Mo only appeared in his courtyard this morning and then disappeared without a trace.

By the time Gongsun received the news and sent people to look for Yun Mo, it was too late. They couldn't find any trace of him. Gongsun was a principled man; since he had accepted the generous gift from the chief steward, he had to complete the task properly! So, he ordered his capable subordinates to search for Yun Mo in secret, and if they found him, they were to kill him swiftly without alarming others!

After arranging these matters, he felt somewhat relieved. "It seems Miss Yingying is fine, so no unfavorable news has been spread today. Clearly, the city lord in seclusion hasn't been disturbed. This is a stroke of luck! We must find Yun Mo quickly and resolve this matter to ensure my peace of mind!"

He sat in the hall, sipping high-quality Yun tea, looking through the rain to the distance, thinking to himself!

At that moment, a guard rushed in urgently!

"Hmm?" Gongsun grunted unhappily. "No manners, didn't you report? Go out and take ten military lashes later!"

His face darkened, scaring the guard, who knelt on the ground, trembling. "Commander... Sir, I... have urgent news to report. I was in a hurry, please forgive me, I am very grateful!" He bowed his head repeatedly.

The guard knew how terrifying military lashes were! It all depended on the executioner's mood! If they were happy, you'd be bedridden for days; if they were unhappy, a few lashes could leave you bedridden for life, or even kill you on the spot! The situation was extremely terrifying, so he was naturally afraid.

"Hmm!" Gongsun saw the guard's forehead bleeding from the repeated bows, and his anger subsided. He sipped his tea and said calmly, "Alright, considering your sincerity, I'll let it go this time. If you offend again, you'll be punished twice! Get up. What's the matter?" He took another elegant sip.

"Thank you, Sir!" The unfortunate guard quickly stood up and said, "Report to Sir. Your subordinate, Captain Hu Changqing, has suddenly gone mad. Not only did he injure himself with a sharp weapon, but he also severed the heads of his wife and some maids. The scene is horrifying! The guards reported it urgently, hoping Sir can go and see, and find a physician to treat him!"

"What?" *Puff!* Gongsun, who was drinking tea, was startled by the report and spat out the tea, wetting his silk robe.

He didn't care if Hu Changqing was mad, but the fact that he failed the assassination last night and went mad today was too coincidental! Moreover, Hu Changqing was strong and highly cultivated; a minor injury wouldn't drive him mad! The situation was very suspicious! Gongsun couldn't help but lose his composure.

After a moment, the main gate of Gongsun's residence opened. Gongsun rode a demon horse taller than two men, fully armored, and wielding a green saber, leading the way! Behind him, five hundred guards on demon horses, armed with weapons and bows, and fully armored, rushed out. A senior physician in a high hat and silk robe was also in the group. They galloped towards Hu Changqing's residence, hooves clattering loudly!

Gongsun was uneasy, so he increased his escort! With five hundred iron guards in the city lord's mansion, even a great cultivator would find it hard to kill him! After all, no matter how skilled a cultivator was, they would have to retreat when faced with a thousand archers! Why else would the empire maintain such a large army? They could just keep a few great cultivators if that were the case.

Cultivators had an advantage in one-on-one combat or intelligence assassination, but in large-scale battles, especially between countries, their role was minimal! A commander protected by ten thousand iron cavalry was impossible to assassinate! You'd be shot down by arrows before you could get close! Therefore, the army was the main force of a country!

Of course, high-level cultivators were indispensable to deal with constant assassins! They complemented each other to protect the country!

Well, I digressed. Back to the main topic!

In a corner several kilometers from the luxurious estate, Yun Mo, with a cold and murderous gaze, watched Gongsun Furan, who was riding a horse and leading a group of guards. His heart burned with anger, but he knew he couldn't act rashly!

Even if Yun Mo stepped on a landmine, it probably wouldn't kill Gongsun, who was wearing enchanted armor! If Gongsun was on guard, there would be no second chance! Yun Mo was very clear about this. Moreover, even if he disguised himself as a soldier and approached with a poisoned weapon, he wouldn't be able to injure Gongsun, let alone kill him! Gongsun's cultivation was too high, and any assassination attempt would be futile!

It was easy to find out the cultivation levels of famous figures in the city lord's mansion. Gongsun Furan, at the age of thirty, was already a top-tier Heaven's Punishment cultivator! He had just reached this level this year, so he was promoted to commander, and his application for a lower noble title would be confirmed within a year. He was in high spirits!

Yun Mo really didn't want to face such a promising cultivator. He didn't have the capital to challenge him, but sometimes, you can't avoid trouble. With no other choice, Yun Mo decided to take the risk!

Watching these fierce guards ride away, Yun Mo knew his plan was half successful! Luring Gongsun out of the mansion was essential. Gongsun was always extremely cautious when he went out, fully armed and surrounded by many guards. To deal with him, Yun Mo had to catch him off guard! Where would he be most relaxed? Naturally, in his heavily guarded lair! Yun Mo's plan was to strike when Gongsun was most relaxed!