Chapter 263: Yuer Again

Chapter 263: Yu'er Again

Outside the city of Yongding, where a mountain had collapsed, Emperor Tianshu's brother-in-law Cui Haisheng appeared.

During the fight yesterday, Cui Haisheng had been killed by You Jiu and then eaten by Croak and Warble, but that was only one of Cui Haisheng's avatars. Cui Haisheng's reappearance meant that he wouldn't take this insult lying down.

He could vaguely hear some noise coming from underneath the rubble that the mountain left behind. He waved a hand and cleared it away to reveal several Taiqing Demonic Sect elders.

However, the elders were in terrible shape. Their limbs were broken and contorted, and one had even been flatted until his body was like a pancake.

"You're finally here, Master!" one elder exclaimed, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"None of you managed to get away?" Cui Haisheng frowned.

"When the two monks' staffs struck us all, my junior brother died instantly, and the rest of us were terribly injured. If not for the Pestilence Sage risking his life to save us, we might all be dead," the elder reported.

Tang blearily opened his eyes. "I must repay your trust, Division Leader. Everyone else here is your disciple. How could I run away on my own?"

Tang knew that Cui Haisheng was a schemer. Although he had publicly stated that the Pestilence Sage couldn't possibly be passing information to Xiao Nanfeng, it was still something that Cui Haisheng would look into. That was why he didn't choose to escape; rather, he pretended to risk his life for Cui Haisheng's disciples. After all, this body of his was just an avatar, and its death would not hurt him unduly.

Tang's terrible appearance now, along with the testimony of Cui Haisheng's own disciples and the well-known grudge that the Pestilence Sage had against Xiao Nanfeng finally dispelled the last of Cui Haisheng's suspicions.

Cui Haisheng immediately retrieved a large quantity of pills. "Thank you for your hard work, Pestilence Sage. Everyone, take these pills and recuperate."

"Thank you, Division Leader." Tang accepted the pills gratefully.

Just then, a figure flew toward Cui Haisheng.

"Division Leader, we've investigated matters thoroughly. All the Taiqing disciples have vanished from the ten cities that Xiao Nanfeng took down, and Xiao Nanfeng hasn't been seen in Yongding."

"Where could Xiao Nanfeng and all the Taiqing disciples have gone?" Tang asked weakly.

Cui Haisheng laughed. "Where else? He knows how to take advantage of victory. If I'm not mistaken, he's either trying to attack our base of operations here or the headquarters of the rogue soldiers that have infiltrated his territory. He's trying to augment his advantage from turning us against each other."

The disciples nodded. "As you say, Division Leader!"

Two more figures emerged.

"Division Leader, we've just confirmed that Xiao Nanfeng isn't heading to our base of operations."

"Division Leader, we've confirmed that Xiao Nanfeng isn't heading to the rogue soldiers' headquarters, either."

Cui Haisheng frowned. "What? Impossible. Are you certain?"

This wasn't Xiao Nanfeng's main body, but rather his avatar. He had guessed that Cui Haisheng might attempt to take revenge, so he had left his avatar in the Xiao manor as a deterrent.

"Is this an ambush?" Cui Haisheng's eyes sparked with frost.

"An ambush? Of course not. I'm just welcoming you. For Marquis Cui himself to make an appearance—why, I should be honored. Would you like to join me for a drink?" Xiao Nanfeng offered generously.

Cui Haisheng had titled lands of his own within the Tianshu Empire, and was likewise a marquis in his own right.

Xiao Nanfeng's shout boomed throughout the city. The common people raised their heads and looked up at the sky curiously.

"You're mistaken, Xiao Nanfeng," Cui Haisheng replied, his voice cold.

As long as he refused to admit his identity and had plausible deniability on account of the fog disguising his appearance, Ku Jiang wouldn't be able to use it as an excuse to cause trouble for him.

"Am I mistaken? Then who might you be, sir, to be hovering around my city of Yongding? Who might you be to impersonate Marquis Cui and attempt to raid my manor?" Xiao Nanfeng demanded.

Cui Haisheng glared at the manor below him. He was certain that there was an ambush waiting. He couldn't stay here any longer.

Hold on. What if this is only his avatar? Cui Haisheng wondered. Cui Haisheng rapidly came up with a new hypothesis. What if this was Xiao Nanfeng's avatar and all this was a ploy to get him to leave?

"Who are you, sir? Why are you refusing to respond to my questions? What are you doing here in Yongding?" Xiao Nanfeng continued.

Cui Haisheng very much wanted to swoop down toward Xiao Nanfeng, but he was worried that Xiao Nanfeng's three Wingform-realm subordinates would be in his manor waiting for him. Even so, he didn't want to leave, either. What if all this was just a trick?

Cui Haisheng retrieved a guqin, deciding to test the waters a bit longer. He would remain some distance away and attack the Xiao manor with his guqin from afar.

As he plucked at the guqin's strings, a giant ethereal stork manifested and flew toward the Xiao manor.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. Cui Haisheng wasn't an easy opponent. A single stork would be easy to dispel, but Cui Haisheng would only grow more and more aggressive as time passed. If that happened, the lack of cultivators in the Xiao manor would be exposed.

However, Xiao Nanfeng had no choice but to play along. All he could do was hope that he could delay things long enough that his main body would be back in time to repel any potential ssault.

Just then, a flute could be heard from close by.

A phoenix's cry emanated from within the city of Yongding as a magnificent ethereal phoenix soared into the skies to meet the giant stork.

The two ethereal birds struck each other in the air and dissipated. Their bodies vanished in a howling gale that buffeted the city.

"Who's that?" Cui Haisheng exclaimed.

Xiao Nanfeng jumped up to a rooftop and saw a red-robed woman playing a flute not far from the Xiao manor. She had been the one to summon the phoenix and block Cui Haisheng's blow.

"Yu'er?!" Xiao Nanfeng exclaimed.