Monarch Night

At the sight, Fang Che's eyes immediately filled with rage.

Zuo Guanglie and his nine brothers lay here in neat rows.

Unconscious.

Fang Che suddenly stepped back three paces, disbelief flooding his eyes.

But in his heart, he already understood everything.

The day he feared most, the moment he dreaded and was terrified of, had finally arrived today, here and now!

His heart trembled.

Since a long time ago, when he had just joined the Guardian Hall, he had made a concerted effort to distance himself from everyone, especially Zuo Guanglie.

After those two collaborations with Zuo Guanglie, he had been desperately cold to him.

No matter how much Zuo Guanglie and his people tried to befriend him, he remained ice-cold.

Afraid that they would suffer because of him.

Fang Che sincerely hoped that Yin Shen Palace would see him as a lone wolf with no close ties so that nothing would happen.

But he never expected that this day would still come!

Unfortunately, it was them.

Fang Che felt a chill in his heart.

Yin Shen Palace turned to look at Fang Che's face, his gaze inexplicable, his tone indifferent: "Do you recognize them?"

"I do."

Fang Che's face was deathly pale, and with difficulty, he said, "These ten people are all my subordinates from the Guardian Hall."

Yin Shen Palace nodded, saying, "Just ten insignificant little pawns, weak and not worth mentioning."

"Yes, their strength is very low and they can't accomplish any major tasks."

Fang Che coughed, tentatively saying, "Master, do you want me to take them... back?"

He tried hard to show a pleasing smile.

Yin Shen Palace revealed a slight smile on his face, turned to look at Fang Che, his gaze icy cold: "You... want to take them back?"

"I..."

Fang Che hadn't even opened his mouth when Yin Shen Palace had already raised his hand and delivered a slap.

Smack!

A slap landed heavily on Fang Che's face, sending his body flying three zhang into the air.

The force of the slap was incredibly heavy!

Fang Che only felt his head buzzing as his body was flung out, crashed into the cave wall, bounced back, and landed on the ground with blood trickling from the corners of his mouth and nose.

His ears itched, and blood was also flowing from them.

Behind him, the three people from Mu Lin Yuan cried out in alarm, hurriedly stepping forward: "Sect Hierarch! What is going on? Please speak calmly, why suddenly use force?"

Qian Sanjiang was also anxiously saying: "Sect Hierarch, Yemo is still young and inexperienced. Young people are emotional; this… can be understood, why suddenly... use force?"

Yin Shen Palace ignored the two from Mu Lin Yuan, folding his hands behind his back, his gaze icy cold as he stared at Fang Che: "Get up!"

"Yemo! You have greatly disappointed me! I was right to suspect, you indeed have developed feelings and bonds with those of the Guardian Hall!"

He stepped forward with his hands clasped, kicking the just-clambered-up Fang Che once more, making his once somewhat elegant face now in the flickering candlelight, shadowed and grim, like a ferocious ghost.

"Who are you? Who are they? What are you here for?"

The voice of Yin Shen Palace was not high, even somewhat soft and gentle, but the words spoken were like eternal ice.

The candlelight danced in his eyes as he looked at Fang Che, saying word by word, "You... feel pity?"

Fang Che crawled up, kneeling on one knee: "Yes, Master, this disciple was wrong."

"You still know you were wrong?"

Yin Shen Palace said calmly: "Where did you go wrong?"

"This disciple should not have developed feelings for the people of the Guardian Hall, or regarded them as brothers."

Fang Che bowed his head, his hair loosened by the blow from Yin Shen Palace, covering his face.

"So you know. But do you know that this is the way of inviting death?" Yin Shen Palace asked chillingly.

"Yes."

Fang Che kept his head down.

"It's good you know your mistake."

Yin Shen Palace hummed coldly: "Get up."

"Yes."

Fang Che stood upright, feeling a chill in his heart, a chill in his mind.

Over the past few days, Yin Shen Palace had been cheerful, even to the point of appearing warm and kindly.

Truly treating him as a disciple.

Fang Che could feel it.

He had doubts, but he still believed in him, finding him a wife, hosting the wedding, even giving gifts.

So warm, so cozy.

Giving him a home, attachments from this point on.

Though somewhat ill-timed, Fang Che still felt a warmth, a peace of mind. This was a happiness he had never felt in past and present lives.

He had thought that Yin Shen Palace was here just to inspect the sub branch, and meeting Ye Meng to find him a wife was a spontaneous decision.

Once those two things were done, Yin Shen Palace should have left, thus he figured he had passed the Baiyun State test.

But he never expected this scene to unfold today.

A heartbreaking, soul-obliterating path awaited him here.

Yin Shen Palace was indeed still that Blood Spirit Slaughter!

Still that Great Demon mercilessly ravaging the world.

His nose, mouth, and ears were bleeding from that slap by Yin Shen Palace, but he felt nothing, for the turmoil in his mind far surpassed it.

...

A blur of white flashed before his eyes.

Yin Shen Palace tossed over a piece of snow-white handkerchief, saying indifferently: "Wipe it."

Fang Che took the handkerchief, unconsciously rubbing it over his face, seeing nothing but a bright red.

Over there, Yin Shen Palace waved his hand, his spiritual power as silken threads sweeping over Zuo Guanglie and the others.

Releasing the seals on their meridians.

Instantly, Zuo Guanglie snapped his eyes open, shouting out the words he most wanted to say before he fainted: "Brothers, run!"

He flipped over to charge forward.

Obviously intending to fight desperately to exchange his life for a path of survival for his brothers.

But as soon as Zuo Guanglie flipped over, he saw Fang Che, then noticed the blood streaming down Fang Che's face, turned his head, and saw Yin Shen Palace, he couldn't help but gasp, leaped up to stand in front of Fang Che, his anxiety twisting his heart: "Mr. Fang, why are you here? You must leave, this is none of your concern."