Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 97 - 95: Acquiring Another Deceit Object, Prince Mansion Under Lockdown

Chapter 97: Chapter 95: Acquiring Another Deceit Object, Prince Mansion Under Lockdown

When the clock struck four in the morning,

Luoyang King Zhou Wenye, dressed in opulent but obese attire resembling a pig, was leisurely seated on a sedan chair that had come from nowhere.

Two guards, tall as towers and clad in Mystic Armor, lifted him high and paraded through the streets.

A golden copper coin engraved with the seal script "Life Trading Coin" was hanging on his jade belt at his waist, emitting a golden glow that made all the followers dare not look up casually.

Among them were Dao General Wei Anning, "Ghost Matchmaker" Lady Gao, and five Daoist Soldiers, totaling seven people, each marked with a blood-red brand on their tongues.

Originally, there were thirty-six Daoist Soldiers in the Prince Mansion, each assigned to guard different individuals within the mansion.

But during the grand ceremony, twenty were called back and positioned in every corner of Bird Beak Slope; after entering the Deceit Realm, they naturally dispersed throughout "Luoyang City."

However, due to the "Life Trading Coin," they disregarded casualties and all rushed to Prince Luoyang’s side at the earliest moment.

Apart from Wei and Gao, now only these five Mystic Armor Guards remained.

Nevertheless, Zhou Wenye’s bag was brimming with dozens of tokens.

He had disguised himself as a "fat pig" during the period, attracting various "demons and ghosts" like moths to a flame, then flattened everything in his path using the lives of the Daling Wang Family.

The gathered tokens not only met the needs of everyone present but also left quite a surplus.

"Set off, to the feast.

Although it requires some extra effort, the fruits plucked with one’s own hands are always sweeter."

Zhou Wenye spoke lightly and jokingly, seemingly confident of his impending victory.

"Yes, Prince!"

Their procession passed through Anye Square, Xiuwen Square, and Food Square, needing only to cross the river through Luoyang to reach the Luoyang Royal Mansion.

They had traversed this path countless times; even separated by two hundred years, they knew it well.

However, just as they were about to reach the bridge,

they stopped again because of the two people waiting there.

"Father, it is a relief to see that you are well!"

The two bowed respectfully to Zhou Wenye seated on the sedan chair.

They were the handsome but somewhat effeminate Second Prince, Prince Dechang Zhou Jingxiang, and the Princess Consort in a hooded veil, Guo Caixu.

Everyone being swallowed into the Owl God Tomb was entirely accidental.

Zhou Wenye naturally had not used any tricks on them, nor was there any need to use the "Life Trading Coin."

Therefore, he was genuinely surprised when they turned up, having not anticipated their luck in surviving unscathed up to now.

"Hmm. Since my son is fine, then follow us."

Zhou Wenye merely nodded at Prince Dechang, showing perfunctory concern, but displayed a slightly warmer smile towards the Princess Consort.

"Caixu, have you gathered all the tokens for the feast?"

Ordinary people view their offspring as extensions of their own lives, treating them well out of instinctive familial bonds that require no justifications.

But would this still hold true for someone who had achieved immortality, and could easily outlive countless descendants?

Zhou Wenye’s attitude towards his own heirs was quite telling.

Allowing his third son Zhou Jingyao to be taken hostage, casually appointing his eldest son Zhou Jingyuan as the "corpse," showing scant regard for their lives.

Naturally, the position of his second son, Zhou Jingxiang, within his heart could be easily surmised.

Not yet possessing the "life" for immortality, but had prematurely acquired the "illness" of the immortals.

The Princess Consort responded with a demure and slightly embarrassed expression:

"Prince, we have been hiding and making our way here with great difficulty; just surviving was quite tough.

As for the tokens, Caixu has none at all."

The prince was generous, waving the bag in his hand:

"No worries, I have more than enough here; Caixu, feel free to use them."

Yet the Princess Consort not only took her share but also took an extra one and stuffed it into Zhou Jingxiang’s hand.

Clearly, with their limited abilities, they had originally obtained only two tokens.

The reason they had waited here in advance was to complete their entry tickets through the help of Prince Luoyang.

Zhou Wenye saw this but said nothing, simply waving his hand:

"Let’s go."

The observing Daoist Soldiers inwardly despised this smiling prince even more.

Although they were merely dogs for the prince, they were dogs with principles and could not help but look down on this highly privileged prince from the bottom of their hearts.

...

Next to the stall,

facing Lang Qi’s warm invitation, Wang Yuan’s response was just two words:

"Ugly refusal!"

While impersonating Cui Tong, he had fraternized with a group of bandits, but he didn’t have a good impression of most of them.

The only one he got along relatively well with was perhaps only this old friend of Cui Tong, Lang Qi.

Although not exactly a good person, he was an uncomplicated one.

His nature was like that of a wild animal in the mountains, straightforward with everything written on his face.

Unlike those crafty fishermen who, despite preparing traps in the darkness, would still sweeten the hook with honey.

For example.

If anyone were to ask Wang Yuan, Wang Xiaoyuan, if he wanted to be friends with himself, his answer would probably be, "This joke isn’t funny at all."

If they were to ask if he wanted to be friends with Lang Qi, he would probably nod silently.

Being friends with someone as naive as him was quite nice.

But by now, although Wang Yuan felt some sympathy for Lang Qi’s plight, there was absolutely no way for him to rescue him.

Unless Lang Qi could, like his grandfather, suppress the mutation process forcefully relying on a vast amount of "Merit."

All Wang Yuan could give him now was... liberation.

Hearing "Cui Tong’s" response, Lang Qi’s expression changed incessantly.

It was uncertain whether he should feel thrilled by the sharp retort, or be angry at the uncompromising refusal.

Yet before he could act personally to forcefully merge Wang Yuan with himself,

Whoosh—!

Suddenly, a cold wind arose in the street, causing all the lanterns to flicker wildly.

Under Wang Yuan’s deliberate guidance, Lang Qi’s "murderous language, evil sea of disputes" rule finally clashed with the deceit realm’s rule.

On the street, the pedestrians all simultaneously stiffened, turning their heads uniformly to look at Lang Qi who had torn off the fortune teller’s tongue.

Their expressions were as blank as white paper.

The next moment, they all suddenly pounced forward.

Wang Yuan, disregarding the incessant "Brother Cui, Brother Cui" behind him, seized the opportunity to leap up and escaped the fray.

"Awoo..."

"Eat!"

Howling, tearing, screaming, laughing...

Wang Yuan silently waited for everything to quiet down before he returned to his stall.

He first picked up the fortune teller’s golden tooth that had fallen on the ground, having chosen this target with the intention of killing two birds with one stone.

Then, he turned to look at Lang Qi who, being outnumbered, was unable to resist the rules of the deceit realm.

His spiritual Qi-Blood had been completely devoured by the residents of Luoyang City, leaving his dried up body weighing probably no more than twenty kilograms.

At that moment, the Dao Foundation, transformed from the "Three Lives Bird Calculation Book," emerged just like when the Wild Dog Taoist died.

It appeared like a colorful insect, making various bird calls while drilling out from between Lang Qi’s eyebrows.

Continuously twisting its body, trying to merge into the air and return to its original source of Daoist Skill,

It was swiftly slapped back by the quick-handed Wang Yuan.

Merging it with half a wolf’s brain, it transformed into a "Deceit Object."

Wang Yuan spent three hundred "Yin Morality," using "Enlightenment Immortal Light" to convert it, obtaining the third "Rashamon Bone" and its biography.

"Deceit Object·Divination Bone"

Biography: Once the bone is scorched, various cracks will appear on the reverse side. Wizards then use these patterns to predict fortunes and misfortunes - this is known as Divination Bone.

Effect: Can be used to cast divination. Though it can only answer with good or bad, it is one hundred percent accurate when the involved individuals’ Taoist Ability does not exceed a "Yellow Seal Mage"!

If it exceeds the divination limit, there will be no response.

"Precept Taboo: Can only be used three times before it completely shatters.

If carried for a long period, there is a certain chance of suffering from one of the ’five deficiencies and three lacks’ randomly.

Those already deficient are immune.]"

"This is indeed a handy tool for fishermen.

"The praying mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind". Especially when dealing with a bunch of old foxes and young foxes,

it allows one to see through appearances and perfectly judge the real opportunity for fishermen to profit, avoiding the mishap of rashly intervening and tragically dressing others in bridal clothes."

After taking the war trophy, Wang Yuan activated "Five Ghosts Moving Mountain" and shot towards the direction of the Luoyang Royal Mansion.

The owners of "Small Book of Life and Death," Alpha and Beta, struggled like in a tug of war.

In the past, if Wang Yuan left the range of Beimang Mountain, he would immediately be swallowed up by the "Owl God Tomb" using "Owl God Snatching Food," falling into this deceit realm.

Now that the Yili King’s body has suffered "Self-Feeding," at most he is a "Red Seal Mage," possessing no longer a dominant power over Wang Yuan.

Even though "Golden Cage Prison Bird Formation" was broken, it does not mean the "Self-Feeding" had ended. As time passed, Yili King would only grow weaker.

To decide the ownership of the "Small Book of Life and Death," a real fight was necessary.

On the way, he casually used "Human Face Painting" on an offshoot clan member, capturing his soul and obtaining a new identity that could be used for a year.

Well disguised, Wang Yuan finally managed to cross the threshold of the Luoyang Royal Mansion at the very last moment.

Behind him, in the Bell and Drum Tower, the official watched the beautiful bronze clepsydra’s water level inch towards the mark representing 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. and struck the gong with a "bang."

The official raised the two hours card made of ivory aloft, inscribed with the time and filled with gold powder gleaming even in the night.

The official responsible for timing, a robust man with a loud voice, sang through a horn made of white iron sheet:

"Second night of the cycle, dipper changes, flat step! 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.!"

A pale-faced eunuch at the Prince Mansion gate immediately shouted:

"9 p.m. to 11 p.m. arrived, all guests are present, lock the Prince Mansion!"

Bang!

The gate closed.

Sporadic screams echoed across the city, which after a moment, turned completely silent.

Though the lights remained radiant, the once bustling "Luoyang City" had instantaneously died once again, returning to what a graveyard should look like.