It was impossible to tell if the sound was born of panic, fear, excitement, or schadenfreude, but with that single exclamation, the onlookers scattered in an instant. The shopkeepers and their staff on both sides paled, frantically pulling down their shutters and boarding up their doors, descending into chaos… Killing City Administrators—what a colossal matter this was… Whoever wanted to be entangled in this mess should just show their face… With a sound of rhythmic hoofbeats, several youths riding horses, accompanied by their retainers, approached from the other end of the long street. The one in the lead broke into a slight smile, observing the scene before him with great amusement. “Well now, aren’t these the two great envoys under Saint Emperor Cao? What’s this? Such high spirits today, deciding to kill a few City Administrators for sport? A dignified Supreme Realm expert, hah! Relishing the slaughter of mere mortal City Administrators—truly majestic and imposing…”

The faces of the two guards immediately darkened.

Turning back to look at Jun Mo Xie, they realized the young man had vanished without a trace at some point. It then dawned on them that the loud shout of “Murder!” just now… seemed to have come from this very youth… No wonder he sounded so thrilled… “So, it turns out Young Master Zhan is present. We greet you respectfully.” Although the other party was young, his background was immensely significant. The two guards knew they could not afford to provoke him and dared not act presumptuously in the slightest.

Coincidentally, the handsome, tall youth before them was precisely the one whom Cao Guofeng, the Saint Emperor Cao, had repeatedly warned Young Master Jun about—the first person in the Illusory Mansion whom they absolutely could not afford to offend.

Zhan Yushu of the Zhan family!

Never mind Zhan Yushu himself; even the other youths trailing behind the eldest Young Master Zhan were all descendants of the major families within the Illusory Mansion. Any one of them was someone these two guards could not afford to cross. Cao Guofeng himself, and the forces surrounding him, were not afraid, but they generally avoided any conflict with these established families. Everyone tacitly maintained a façade of superficial harmony. To draw an analogy: If Young Master Jun were to clash with these scions of noble families, Cao Guofeng would naturally step in to defend him, and even engaging in a fierce fight would not be uncommon. However, if these two guards were to provoke these young masters, Cao Guofeng would absolutely not shield them; instead, he would mete out extremely severe punishments, potentially expelling them from the sect or crippling their martial arts. Such was the harsh reality of disparate fates—a situation they were powerless to change!

“Wang Neng, Li Jie; I hear… you two now have a new Young Master to serve?” Zhan Yushu tilted his chin upward, narrowing his eyes, looking down at the two men with a gaze that treated them as ants. “I hear… he possesses the Ethereal Body? I hear… he’s quite formidable? Is that true?” He uttered the word “hear” three times, deliberately drawing out the syllables each time, his disdain and contempt laid bare. The youths behind him couldn't help but laugh, leaning back and forth in hearty amusement, clearly trying to egg him on. One of them spoke up: “Ethereal Body? At best, he’s just a bumpkin. Who knows what stray dog they picked up from somewhere. Compared to our Brother Zhan, that sort is nothing more than a pile of shit.” Another chimed in: “Calling him a pile of shit is elevating him. I am well-read. While I dare not claim to know everything from celestial affairs to earthly matters, across all three teachings and nine schools of thought, I have never heard of any strange constitution like the Ethereal Body. Some bastard who surfaced from nowhere thinks he can suppress us just because of some obscure thing? He dreams too big! With Brother Zhan here, which young talent in the Illusory Mansion dares claim to be number one? A self-important frog in a well, arrogant and boastful, emerging from the filthy mortal world!” Zhan Yushu smiled reservedly, his fair, exquisite face alight with smug satisfaction. However, a closer inspection would reveal a subtle, chilling calmness lurking deep within his profound eyes, observing the complexions of the two men before him, missing no detail. His peripheral vision kept flicking toward the retinue following behind him. If Jun Mo Xie were present, he would surely realize that this legendary Young Master Zhan was no mere dandy! It was a pity he had slipped away somewhere else now.

“Young Master Zhan speaks rightly,” Wang Neng’s face paled slightly. “Lord Saint Emperor Cao did indeed take in a disciple possessing the Ethereal Body. We are here accompanying Young Master Mo to gain experience in Heart Illusion City.” Zhan Yushu meticulously took in Wang Neng’s expression, narrowing his eyes as he chuckled, “So, does this mean that the eighty years you two waited so painstakingly have amounted to nothing? What a pity, truly a pity.” Though he voiced regret, his tone was saturated with malicious glee. The moment he said this, Wang Neng and Li Jie’s faces changed simultaneously. But Zhan Yushu wouldn’t cease his tirade, his voice becoming exceptionally arrogant: “Hahaha, thinking about how you two have schemed against each other all these years, just to secure the position of Saint Emperor Cao’s direct disciple—you exerted yourselves terribly. Now, thinking back, this Young Master finds it simply hilarious, utterly hilarious! Hahahaha! Decades of hard work and planning, all washed away like spilled water—you two must be feeling quite wonderful, no?” Li Jie’s face changed again, yet he still dared not show anger, forcing a wry smile. “Young Master Zhan is joking. Back then, if we hadn't received Saint Emperor Cao’s meticulous guidance, how could we have achieved our current meager accomplishments? The greatest hope of Saint Emperor Cao’s life was to find a worthy successor for the Eternal Bowl. Now that he has finally found his most ideal successor, we are both overjoyed for him. We harbor no improper ambitions; Young Master Mo possesses the Ethereal Body, a natural genius. Such an extraordinary constitution has only been seen in the originator of profound arts, the Nine Nether’s First Young Master, in ten thousand years! He is unparalleled under heaven, rarely matched throughout antiquity. Even if we harbored any thoughts, we would submit with utter conviction! Young Master Zhan’s final words were very true; we both feel exceedingly comfortable indeed!” Zhan Yushu let out a cold sneer. Although the reply was humble and polite, and his stance extremely low, the underlying implication was pointed. Moreover, following the comments from his friends about their own talents, this was clearly a counter-attack! It was sarcasm implying that their own aptitude was inferior to this newcomer, that no amount of boasting or effort would matter—that was the reality, and arguing further would only expose their own shame… Hearing Li Jie’s words, Zhan Yushu’s expression immediately darkened.

“Still trying to argue?! Two pieces of trash casually discarded by others, who have followed for decades only to serve as backups, mere dregs! You dare to rely on your Supreme power to bully ordinary people, you sinners who slaughtered the administrators of Heart Illusion City, and yet you dare to mock this Young Master?” Zhan Yushu’s expression turned icy cold. “Guards! Take these two down and hand them over to the Public Security Office to await judgment!” With that command, the several retainers behind him eagerly surged forward, clenching their fists. Zhan Yushu’s eyes revealed a fierce, wolf-like cold glint, looking down upon Wang Neng and Li Jie. He spoke icily, “These two blatantly disregarded the laws of the Illusory Mansion just now, assaulted enforcement personnel, and used various means to publicly kill no fewer than eight innocent administrators. Blood flows down the street, their methods cruel and vicious, their hearts utterly ruthless! We all witnessed it firsthand and can all testify! The evidence is conclusive. As law-abiding citizens, acting with a sense of justice, we are assisting the Judicial Department of the Illusory Mansion in their detention. If these two malefactors offer any resistance, execute them on the spot! Anyone who kills them will be credited, not faulted!” Wang Neng and Li Jie simultaneously stepped back, their faces ashen. They said grimly, “Young Master Zhan, we are all from the same lineage, disciples of the Illusory Mansion, essentially from the same school. Is it necessary to be so utterly ruthless?” Zhan Yushu scoffed, “Pah! You two pieces of scum actually think you can claim kinship with this Young Master? Forget the fact that you have no connection to me; even if you did, so what? Such lawless, perverse, and murderous brutes as you two, who killed judicial officers of our mansion—I am now carrying out divine justice, eliminating kin for righteousness’ sake!” Seeing the five or six experts beyond the Supreme Realm behind Zhan Yushu advance with sinister grins, Wang Neng and Li Jie’s faces turned deathly pale, despair washing over them as they cursed Jun Mo Xie vehemently in their hearts…

“Young Master Zhan, the root of this matter was these blind fools provoking my Young Master, and our intervention was under orders, stemming from dire necessity! Young Master Zhan, we all have our own calculations, and we know the score. Since blood has been spilled, why don’t we calmly await the relevant personnel to step in and resolve this? Why must you overstep and take the lead! Besides, only eight City Administrators died… It’s hardly a great matter! Why escalate the situation to the point where everyone loses face?”

“Your Young Master? That bumpkin surnamed Mo? The possessor of that so-called Ethereal Body? He’s here too?” Zhan Yushu’s eyes darted around, his focus instantly shifting to the whereabouts of Young Master Jun. Wang Neng quickly confirmed, mentally grumbling: We just said we were accompanying him to sightsee, and now you’re putting on an act like you don’t know…

“Inform the administrator of the City Administration Office that this Young Master is temporarily taking charge of this matter. Tell them to hold off on any investigation for now,” Zhan Yushu mused, a sharp glint in his eyes. “First, take these two to the Fragrant Pavilion. Send word out: tell Young Master Mo Junye to personally come to the Fragrant Pavilion before the midnight hour tonight to claim them! If he fails to appear by then, these two will be handed over to the Public Security Office for legal processing! A life for a life! No leniency shown!” The group agreed, and even Wang Neng and Li Jie let out a sigh of relief. All the young masters of the Illusory Mansion behind Zhan Yushu wore expressions of keen interest, already contemplating how they would make things difficult for Young Master Mo Junye when he arrived.