Chapter 234

Jin Miaoshan’s entrance this time was grand and extravagant, but Wang Yu faintly guessed why Jin Lin was so relentless in pursuing her and why he insisted on targeting her.

Jin Lin, Jin Lin (麟 and 鳞)... only a single character different.[1]

But when spoken aloud, the two names sounded identical. For someone of equal standing to subtly mock him in this way—it was indeed quite a provocation. Jin Lin must have been furious.

“Whew—”

Four Golden Lin Beasts hovered three feet above the ground. Jin Miaoshan descended from one of them, once again adorned in her dazzling and glamorous attire.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Wang Yu seemed to see a faint Buddhist halo shining behind her head. Jin Miaoshan’s comprehension of the Prajna Heart Sutra appeared to far surpass his own—she had even gained insight into Buddhist principles through it.

“Daoist Jin.”

“Wang Yu, thank you for coming to welcome me.”

Wang Yu kept a calm expression, but the onlookers around them burst into an uproar.

“Someone from Golden Abundance Tower!”

“I was wondering who could make such a scene. Of course—it’s Golden Abundance Tower!”

“She must be here in Jade Spirit City to reopen Golden Abundance Tower! That’s great news. Hurry, gather your spirit stones, this is another chance to make a fortune!”

“No wonder City Lord Wang found us another fat sheep. I love that man!!”

Jin Miaoshan’s bright smile immediately turned awkward, while Wang Yu couldn’t help but let a faint smile appear.

“Please—”

She took a deep breath, suppressing her displeasure, and walked beside him into the city.

With a cheerful tone, she said, “How about my four Golden Scale Beasts? It took me great effort to gather them.”

Wang Yu twitched the corner of his mouth.

“No wonder Jin Lin wants to trouble you. Doing this will only infuriate him.”

“My conflict with him isn’t limited to this. His mother always envied mine. The idea of the Golden Scalew Beasts was my father’s.”

“Then your whole family must be quite petty.”

“This is called retaliation. It was their family who started playing these petty games first.”

Jin Miaoshan’s expression darkened slightly. Seeing this, Wang Yu didn’t press further—it was her family matter, after all. Instead, he asked,

“Did you bring a protector? After what Master Tianshui did last time, Jin Lin must’ve suffered a huge loss. If you go out unguarded, he might send someone to take revenge.”

Jin Miaoshan raised an elegant brow.

“He wouldn’t dare send deathsworn servants to kill me, would he? If he truly did, that would mean completely tearing our relationship apart. Even if his grandfather is a Nascent Soul cultivator, he couldn’t cover that up.”

Wang Yu paused mid-step. “Don’t say such things lightly… be careful!”

Suddenly—

The world went dark. The bustling city gate vanished, and the two of them appeared in a pitch-black space. There was no light, no sense of direction, yet they could still feel solid ground beneath their feet.

Wang Yu waved his hand, summoning Ice Chi Flame, but the light could not pierce the darkness at all. It was as though they stood in an endless void.

“What is this?”

Jin Miaoshan’s expression turned solemn.

“This is a divine ability from the Shadow Prison lineage, used by an expert skilled in assassination and concealment—Senior Shadowless Dark Lord, a Nascent Soul master. He’s one of Jin Lin’s elders.”

“How do we break it?”

“It can only be undone from the outside. We just have to hold on for fifteen minutes. My protector will find a way.”

Wang Yu sighed inwardly. Activating his Searching Mountain and Hunting Demons secret technique, he stayed alert for movement within the darkness. Yet, there was nothing—no sound, no presence, as if the enemy didn’t exist at all.

Maintaining constant vigilance like this was exhausting. At some point, one’s focus would inevitably falter. They needed to draw the enemy out—to test his strength.

After thinking this through, Wang Yu spoke up.

“Hey, you must be the death servant sent by Jin Lin. This matter has nothing to do with me. Why keep dragging me into it?”

Silence.

He looked toward Jin Miaoshan, who was also watching him.

“My apologies.”

Before she could react, Wang Yu suddenly reached out and gripped her pale neck. His thumb and forefinger pressed like iron bars against her throat.

With his immense strength, a light squeeze could tear out her windpipe—or easily take her head.

Though her life was suddenly in his grasp, Jin Miaoshan didn’t panic. Instead, she asked calmly, “Hey—what are you doing…”

“Quiet.”

Wang Yu pulled her in front of him as a shield, his eyes narrowing.

“My friend, your time is short. Jin Lin won’t want you to kill Fellow Daoist Miaoshan—he’ll want her alive. You may have heard of me, Wang Yu, the reckless one.”

“If you come out now and let this City Lord leave, I won’t kill her. Otherwise… you’ll be carrying a corpse back to report.”

Their bodies were close. Instead of fear, Jin Miaoshan twisted her slender waist slightly, her fragrance filling the air, her demeanor teasing and enticing.

Wang Yu knew she had methods to escape his grasp at any time, but he hadn’t expected her to be this flirtatious—almost like she was testing him.

“Stop that.”

He pushed forward slightly, and Jin Miaoshan froze, a faint blush rising on her pale face.

At that moment, ripples spread through the dark void.

An old figure emerged from the shadows, his aura radiating peak Core Formation power—beyond Wang Yu’s ability to confront.

“Are you the death servant?”

The old man’s dry throat moved slightly as he spoke, his voice hoarse as though he hadn’t spoken for a long time.

“Yes.”

Wang Yu, still holding Jin Miaoshan, retreated a few steps to maintain distance—enough to respond to any sudden attack.

Then he said, “At your age, sir, you seem rather unfit for the role of a death servant.”

The old man was taken aback, clearly not expecting that remark. He didn’t know how to respond. Jin Miaoshan caught on to Wang Yu’s intent and added thoughtfully,

“Indeed, death servants of your age are rare. Are you truly one of Jin Lin’s men?”

“Were you slacking off when you were younger?”

If this was truly the case, then it proved that the other party was not a rigid mission puppet. But the greater possibility was that this old man was not a death servant at all.

How could a death servant live to such an age? That was completely unreasonable.

After a long silence, realizing that he could no longer deceive the two of them, the old man suddenly revealed a hideous smile.

“Miss Jin truly possesses extraordinary wit. Even after being captured, you remain so composed and have managed to see through my plan. However… are the two of you acting?”

Jin Miaoshan: “…”

Hearing this accusation, Wang Yu immediately felt irritated. He hated it the most when people thought he was pretending. “Acting? You think I am acting?!”

The Lesser Asura Killing Fist that he had cultivated for years was revealed for the first time. Because he had not yet formed his Core Formation stage mana, only the spiritual side of this divine technique could be manifested.

Crimson mist began to spread, transforming from mental power into tangible murderous intent. It gathered around Wang Yu, whose eyes turned blood-red, releasing three feet of scarlet brilliance.

What once was a killing intent the size of a palm had now grown to over thirty feet. Thick red mist condensed above his head into the upper body of an Asura.

This pressure that struck directly at the soul could only be resisted by one whose Dao Heart was unshakable.

The old man’s expression immediately turned grave. He was uncertain whether Wang Yu was serious. Jin Miaoshan, who knew he had cultivated the Path of the Asura Killing Heart, did not expect his progress to have reached such a degree.

They were already on equal footing.

Having once experienced the invasion of killing intent into her mind, Jin Miaoshan knew how terrifying this state was. She too began to doubt whether Wang Yu was truly acting. The feeling of being stared at by a predator chilled her to the core.

As the saying goes, “A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall.”

Just as Jin Miaoshan prepared to use a secret art to escape, the old man spoke again.

“Calm down, little friend Wang. Let us speak properly. I did not mean to drag you into this.”

“Then tell me your purpose.”

The old man sighed helplessly.

“I was indeed entrusted by Young Master Jin Lin to bring Miss Miaoshan back.”

“Why?” Jin Miaoshan was the one who asked.

“Your base of influence lies in Cloud Ridge, while Young Master Jin Lin’s lies in You Prefecture. The struggle for Chasing Moon Prefecture is approaching, and he wishes to prevent you from interfering. I would never harm you, merely detain you for a short while.”

“Heh.”

“That brat Jin Lin, always scheming with tricks outside the board. Can he not compete with me fairly just once? Does Uncle Wuying know you are here… Lou Gao?”

Through their exchange, Jin Miaoshan saw through the other party’s identity.

The old man, realizing he could no longer conceal himself, changed his form and returned to his true appearance. To her surprise, he was actually a handsome white-haired man.

Jin Miaoshan explained to Wang Yu.

“Lou Gao is the eldest disciple of Lord Shadowless Dark. He once failed his Nascent Soul condensation and has since been unable to obtain a second chance. His Core Formation lifespan is nearly at its end.”

Even as a disciple of the Nascent Soul realm, his status extraordinary and backed by a grand chamber of commerce like Golden Abundance Tower, obtaining a Nascent Soul opportunity was still extremely difficult. Such treasures were far rarer than Core Formation resources and almost never sold.

The greater the power, the longer the waiting line.

Everyone had connections. It all depended on luck. To obtain even one chance was already fortunate. A second chance was nearly impossible.

Even Shadowless Dark Lord could not help him. He could only rely on himself to find an opportunity.

“So, Jin Lin promised you a Nascent Soul opportunity? And you actually believe him? He himself has to compete for one.”

“How could that be.”

Lou Gao shook his head, denying her assumption.

“Young Master Jin Lin gave me a lead. In the Taihu Spiritual Domain, he said, with my technique of the Formless and Shadowless Arts, I might be able to venture deep within and compete for it myself.”

“I see.”

At that moment, Wang Yu’s divine sense stirred. He felt the dark void around them tremble slightly, a sign that the people outside were about to succeed.

The situation was decided.

The tangible killing intent that had surged like a tide now completely retracted, and he removed his hand from Jin Miaoshan’s neck.

She looked at him suspiciously. “So it really was just an act.”

Wang Yu spread his hands. “Of course. Does Fellow Daoist Miaoshan still not believe me?”

She remained doubtful.

Seeing this, Lou Gao did not seize the final chance to strike. Instead, he explained once more.

“Originally, I planned to head to Taihu after completing this task. Now that I have failed, I will still make the journey. I hope we meet again, Miss Miaoshan.”

The darkness receded, and the warm sunlight shone once again.

Qingyang and the others immediately surrounded them.

“City Lord, are you all right?”

“I am fine.”

Several people also gathered around Jin Miaoshan—five bodyguards in total, all at the peak of Core Formation. There were far more than last time, clearly as a precaution for the ongoing Chasing Moon Prefecture conflict.

In the demonic path, accidents were the norm. No one truly believed their opponents would follow the rules.

[1]:- So basically, Jin Miaoshan is insulting Jin Lin by rolling up in a fancy carriage pulled by "golden qilin beasts" (金麟兽)—which sound exactly like his name "Jin Lin" (金鳞, golden scales) when spoken aloud. It's just one character different on paper, but the pun turns him into her lowly "beast of burden," mocking him without saying it outright.