When Cen Yu arrived, the two were locked in a fierce battle. Feng Mo Ran, injured and needing to keep Xiao Man alive, was constantly held back. Yet, if he didn't fight with all his might, not only would he fail to capture Xiao Man, but he might also perish at her hands. He immediately ceased holding back, his attacks decisive and brutal. He didn't need to kill Xiao Man, just keep her breathing.
Feng Mo Ran, as expected of a master steeped in martial arts for many years, was incredibly formidable despite being poisoned and heavily wounded. Coupled with Xiao Man’s lingering weakness and incomplete recovery, she was, for the moment, unable to overcome Feng Mo Ran.
Cen Yu hid behind, a few copper coins appearing in his hand. He liked money, and his hidden weapons were also coins. He was particularly adept at ambushing from behind.
While the two were distracted, Cen Yu flung a copper coin towards Xiao Man. She sidestepped, and the coin flew past her, striking Feng Mo Ran. Feng Mo Ran coughed up blood and looked at Cen Yu, who feigned innocence. He then threw several more copper coins at Xiao Man, but none hit her. Instead, Feng Mo Ran was left in disarray by the coins Xiao Man deflected.
“Cen Yu, go after Chu Qing Ge.”
“Alright.” Cen Yu hugged the wall, intending to slip past the two and move forward. Xiao Man lunged to intercept him. Feng Mo Ran, unwilling to let this happen, deflected Xiao Man’s sword and reached out to grab Cen Yu, intending to throw him back. To his surprise, Cen Yu remained motionless. A knife was plunged into Feng Mo Ran’s ribs. Feng Mo Ran cried out in alarm and struck at Cen Yu. Cen Yu twisted the dagger in his hand, let go, and Xiao Man grabbed Cen Yu, pulling him away. Feng Mo Ran’s palm strike had created a large hole in the wall. Had Cen Yu taken the full force of that blow, his chest bones would likely have been shattered.
Cen Yu gasped, his heart still pounding, “If you hadn’t been quick, I would have died here today.”
“You’re lucky. I’ve wanted to kill you so many times, yet I haven’t succeeded,” Xiao Man said coldly.
Feng Mo Ran stumbled back, clutching his injured ribs, his face contorted in pain, “Cen Yu!”
“Esteemed National Preceptor, my hearing is quite good, you don’t need to shout so loudly,” Cen Yu said mockingly. “Esteemed National Preceptor, do you like the gift I gave you?”
“A base slave, worse than a dog.”
“Esteemed National Preceptor, you flatter yourself. Dogs remain dogs, but you, you are always transforming into a beast. Comparing you to a dog is an insult to dogs.” When it came to insults, Cen Yu had never backed down. Back then, when Wen Mo Han had indirectly cursed Xiao Man, he had chimed in with him, his words so sharp that Xiao Man would detour whenever she saw the two of them.
Feng Mo Ran nearly choked. He raised his sword to attack Cen Yu, but burdened by his injuries, he was no match for Xiao Man and Cen Yu combined. He turned and fled. He had always considered himself clever, able to scheme against people, yet now, he didn’t have a single useful person by his side.
How could Xiao Man let Feng Mo Ran escape? She immediately pursued him, with Cen Yu trailing behind, chattering, “Look at you, you just had a baby, and you don’t even take care of yourself. Traveling so far to chase after this… thing, is it worth it?”
“If I don’t kill him, he will surely target my child. I cannot let him leave here alive,” Xiao Man explained. “He wants the Myriad Poison Golden Physique, and it must be useful. He didn’t kill me and raised me because of my Myriad Poison Golden Physique. Now, in this world, only two people possess the Myriad Poison Golden Physique: myself and my child. He can’t catch me, so who do you think he’ll go after?”
Upon hearing this, Cen Yu immediately said, “Then we must hurry. No matter what, we have to kill this bastard!”
Xiao Man glanced at Cen Yu, who had run ahead of her, and twitched her lips. If Cen Yu didn't have so many ulterior motives, he would be a decent person. But he was burdened by too many bad intentions. He craved genuine affection but always ended up doing things that hurt others.
In a way, Cen Yu was also a pitiable figure. He had never received love from his family since childhood. The one friend who had genuinely cared for him was lost due to his foolish actions. But he never looked inward for the reason, blaming everything on others, which led to his current predicament.
When Zhan Tian Que and Mo Mo entered, they coincidentally encountered Xia Hou Ying and Qu Yang, who had gotten lost. The four met, and swords were instantly drawn.
“Brother Zhan.” Xia Hou Ying greeted first. “You’ve arrived too.”
Zhan Tian Que looked at Xia Hou Ying with suspicion. “Weren’t you following Murong Sheng Rui?”
“We got lost,” Xia Hou Ying said frankly. “And we don’t know the correct path, nor dare we proceed rashly.”
“Since you don’t know the way, it’s best to retrace your steps,” Zhan Tian Que said calmly. The Demon City was a tomb for outsiders; this was a tomb prepared by Xiao Man for Feng Mo Ran and Murong Sheng Rui.
“We must find His Majesty.”
“If I were you, I would leave immediately,” Zhan Tian Que said slowly. “Those who enter here, unless we choose to release them, no one can walk out alive. While I still don’t wish to kill you, leave quickly.”
Qu Yang hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward. “Commander Zhan, Xiao Man is Du Gu Man, isn’t she?”
Zhan Tian Que glanced at Qu Yang, but did not answer. Instead, he and Mo Mo continued inward. “Leave. There are no answers you seek here. Yun Qi has already fallen. No one will hunt you. Of course, there is nowhere for you to fulfill your ambitions. Go back and be ordinary people.”
Qu Yang stood frozen in silence. Xia Hou Ying looked at Qu Yang. “Are you still going in?”
Qu Yang turned and walked outward. “Let’s go. Let’s leave. His Majesty has gone mad; we cannot persuade him. All we can do is take care of ourselves.”
Xia Hou Ying, however, chose to proceed inward. “Qu Yang, farewell. I must go in.”
“Are you insane?” Qu Yang grabbed Xia Hou Ying’s arm. “What can you do after going in? His Majesty and the Empress Dowager are fighting, who will you help? If you go, you’ll only be in a difficult position!”
“I will help Xiao Man,” Xia Hou Ying said word by word. “From now on, I will help Xiao Man.”
“Even if it means killing His Majesty, you will help Xiao Man?” Qu Yang asked incredulously.
“Have you forgotten that you drugged His Majesty’s food with the Marrow Cleansing Toxin?” Xia Hou Ying said softly. “You have already taken the first step. Don’t say Xiao Man controlled you. If there were no cracks in your heart, how could she have taken advantage of you?”
Qu Yang’s face turned pale, and he released Xia Hou Ying’s arm. “So, you are going to betray His Majesty of your own accord?”
“The world is just stabilizing. Xiao Man cannot have an accident. She can be a benevolent Empress. Nangong Yu, no matter how ambitious he is, would not dare to easily start a war. She must live, she must be safe and sound. I, Xia Hou Ying, have always acted for the common people of the realm, not for any single individual.”