In a brothel within Sky Water City.
No one knew that beneath this brothel lay a secret dungeon.
In the dead of night, the clamour and bustle of the brothel finally quietened down, leaving only faint gasps and moans.
Over a dozen dark figures silently appeared in a disused woodshed of the brothel. They moved aside a large chest inside, lifted the straw matting on the ground, and revealed a hidden door.
Opening the hidden door revealed a dim underground staircase.
These dark assassins descended the steps and entered this secret dungeon.
At this moment, only one old man, both deaf and mute, was dozing inside the dungeon. When he saw several dark figures enter, he did not even notice.
However, the old man inside the cell suddenly became alert. He raised his head, revealing a gaunt face.
Originally, City Lord Tu Li Wen had very short whiskers, each one like a steel needle.
Now, his whiskers were several inches long, and he had grown much thinner.
But one could still recognise him at a glance. He was Tu Li Wen, City Lord of Luan Yang, father of Tu Li Yang.
His nose, which was tall, straight, and steep, his eyes like a falcon’s, and his cheeks like knife cuts were all extremely rare features.
“What, has Count Suo Lun finally decided to send me on my way?” Tu Li Wen said coldly.
Several dark assassins looked towards one among them. That person nodded and said, “Correct, he is Tu Li Wen.”
Hearing these words, Count Tu Li Wen instantly revealed a sharp gleam and said, “You are not from Sky Water City. Who exactly are you?”
Instantly, one dark assassin said, “City Lord Tu Li Wen, there is someone who does not wish for you to remain alive in this world.”
“Move!”
At the command.
“Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh…”
Instantly, several dark assassins fired their hand crossbows, and dozens of poisoned arrows rained down like a shower.
This Count Tu Li Wen originally possessed very high martial arts skills. But after being imprisoned, his meridians were directly crippled through drugs and other means. Thus, he was completely unable to dodge this dense rain of poisoned arrows.
“Pfft, pfft, pfft…”
Instantly, he was struck by dozens of poisoned arrows. The blood that splattered out was actually black.
Almost without even a cry of pain, he died on the spot.
A dignified count, a feudal lord of the Raging Wave Kingdom with a hundred-year legacy, had thus perished.
“He’s dead.” One assassin said, “Go and cut off his head.”
Walking up to the cell, they discovered there was actually no cell door. The thick steel-barred cage was directly embedded into the solid stone slabs of the floor above and below. This way, outsiders could not enter the cell, and the prisoner could not get out either.
“It really is a death cell. There is simply no way to rescue anyone.” One assassin said, “But the people of Sky Water City probably never imagined that we did not come to save someone, but to kill someone!”
And just at this moment, faint footsteps sounded from above ground.
“Someone is coming. Leave quickly.” an assassin said.
The leader of the assassins raised his hand crossbow and fired fiercely at Count Tu Li Wen’s forehead.
“Pfft…”
The steel arrow, steeped in deadly poison, instantly pierced into Tu Li Wen’s skull.
The already dead Count Tu Li Wen was now deader than dead.
“The deed is done. Let’s go!” The leader of the assassins commanded.
The over a dozen dark assassins swiftly retreated. Passing by the deaf and mute old man guarding the dungeon, he was still dozing with his head bowed.
One of the assassins was about to shoot him dead with an arrow, but was stopped by the assassin leader.
“No, keeping him alive is more interesting.”
Then, the over a dozen assassins swiftly left the secret dungeon.
After returning to the surface, several figures swiftly rushed over and shouted, “Who goes there?”
The over a dozen assassins did not utter a word. They fired poisoned arrows towards the source of the voice.
“Run quickly. Do not engage. Do not alert the experts of Sky Water City.” The assassin leader said.
In the blink of an eye, with a few leaps, the over a dozen assassins had vanished without a trace.
Count Tu Li Wen, whom Tu Ling Duo viewed as a thorn in her side, was thus assassinated. From now on, nothing would stand in the way of her husband Tu Li Yang inheriting the position of city lord.
After Tu Li Yang succeeded to the position, and after she had committed adultery with Zhi Li and borne his child, she would then have Tu Li Yang killed.
Thus, Luan Yang City would completely fall into her hands, Tu Ling Duo.
…
Half an hour later, in the Sky Water City Guard Army camp.
“Madam Yan, the enemy has successfully taken the bait and killed the fake City Lord Tu Li Wen.” a eunuch from the Shadow Pavilion said with a bow.
Yan Nai’er nodded and said, “Did the assassins sent by the Tu Ling family harbour any suspicions about the fake City Lord Tu Li Wen?”
“No.” the Shadow Pavilion expert said, “The stand-in for City Lord Tu Li Wen was chosen from a thousand li away, and after the disguise by a sorcerer, there will absolutely be no flaws. So before long, whether it is Tu Ling Duo or Zhi Li, they will all believe that City Lord Tu Li Wen is already dead.”
Yan Nai’er nodded and said, “You have worked hard.”
“This old servant takes his leave.” The Shadow Pavilion eunuch expert withdrew.
Fen Mo, who was beside her, should also have withdrawn. But after a slight hesitation, he said, “Tu Ling Duo personally told me that City Lord Suo Lun is already dead.”
“That is impossible.” Yan Nai’er’s expression did not change in the slightest.
Fen Mo said, “But whether in Rou Ran City or the royal city, there is no trace of City Lord Suo Lun. Over twenty days ago, he left the royal city to return to Sky Water City. And at Mount of Misfortune in Black Furnace County, there was a terrible trace of an attack. That is precisely the place City Lord Suo Lun must pass through.”
Yan Nai’er said resolutely, “Fen Mo, Suo Lun is my beloved, my husband. I can clearly feel that he is still alive.”
Fen Mo said nothing more. He bowed in salute and withdrew.
When only Yan Nai’er remained in the room, instantly all the strength in her body seemed to dissipate completely. She slumped directly into the chair behind her, and tears surged from her eyes.
…
Inside the Sky Water City Lord’s Mansion.
At this moment, it was nearly midnight.
“Su Qin, who exactly are you not sleeping for?” Fu Yan’er said angrily.
Over the past few months, these had been her happiest days.
She had finally once again begun living a life of wearing gold and silver, a life above others.
Within the city lord’s mansion, maids and servants were as numerous as clouds, an inexhaustible wealth and glory.
Whether in food, clothing, or daily use, everything was exquisite and magnificent.
The most delightful thing was that Suo Lun’s other two wives were not in the city lord’s mansion. Princess Zhi Yan had been in the royal city during this period, while Yan Nai’er was basically always at the military camp, only returning to the city lord’s mansion every few days to accompany Suo Ning Bing for meals and conversation.
So, after an initial period of cautiousness, Fu Yan’er discovered that her elder sister Suo Ning Bing was very gentle and easy to talk to. Thus, she gradually began managing the servants and maids within the city lord’s mansion, beginning to put on the airs of a mistress of the house.
And her daughter Fu Qin Qin, after entering Sky Water City, was directly renamed Su Qin and entered the genealogy of the Suo Clan.
Not only that, as Suo Lun’s currently only child, Qin Qin received boundless affection from Suo Ning Bing and Yan Nai’er. Basically every day, Suo Ning Bing personally looked after her, teaching her to read and paint.
And Yan Nai’er also frequently came over to teach Qin Qin sword practice.
Even Yan Chuo’er (the Rock Queen), who was long absent from the main city, specially returned several times to bring Qin Qin all sorts of rare gifts.
And the happiest of all was Suo Lun’s younger half-sister, the little princess Yan Xue’er. Her mind remained at the level of a ten-year-old. She only half-understood that she had become an aunt, completely treating Qin Qin as a playmate. All day long, she played with Qin Qin without any regard for seniority.
These should have been incomparably sweet and happy times.
But ever since over twenty days ago, everything had changed.
A shadow hung over the entire Sky Water City, because Suo Lun, who should have returned, had not returned.
Everyone forced smiles, and no one dared to mention that terrifying word.
But both Yan Nai’er and Suo Ning Bing had grown visibly thinner. Qin Qin had personally witnessed several times that Aunt Suo Ning Bing was weeping, and she went for days on end without eating.
Although Qin Qin was still young, she understood everything. She knew that Father should have returned, but had not yet returned.
She did not know what she could do, so she simply did not sleep, keeping her eyes wide open waiting for Father to return.
“Good girl, sleep. When you open your eyes, Father will have returned.” Fu Yan’er coaxed her daughter.
Qin Qin did not speak either. She simply sat on the bed, her eyes wide open, refusing to sleep.
“Will you sleep or not? If you don’t sleep, Mother is going to hit you.” Fu Yan’er lost her temper.
But very quickly, she herself could not hold back. She hugged her daughter and burst into great sobs.
She did not even know why she was crying, but she simply could not hold back her sorrow.
The entire city lord’s mansion, the entire Sky Water City, was shrouded in an atmosphere of near despair and terrible gloom.
But no one believed that Suo Lun was dead.
And if Suo Lun truly were dead, then all these loved ones would experience the heavens collapsing and the earth splitting asunder, the sky falling and the earth caving in.
…
In the Pagoda Tower of Pagoda Island, in the Western Sea of the continent.
Because Dragon Power could not be used here, Zhi Yan exerted tremendous effort to climb ninety-nine levels, thousands of steps, and finally reached the top level of the towering Pagoda Tower.
At this moment, Suo Lun beside her was still unconscious with his eyes closed. And the frenzied Zhuang Zhi Xuan was still riding on his body, completely indulging and sinking into depravity.
Zhi Yan clearly heard that Zhuang Zhi Xuan had already trembled and convulsed four or five times, yet the desire within her body still burned madly.
If this continued, in at most a dozen or so hours, she would perish, her fragrance extinguished, dying when her oil ran dry.
And Suo Lun would probably not escape such misfortune either.
Zhi Yan opened her beautiful eyes wide and stared fixedly at something at the tower’s peak.
That must be the Dragon Seal sacred object of the Pagoda Tower.
It was a mass of incomparably beautiful light and shadow!
That’s right, it was a mass of light and shadow, seemingly a mass of spiritual power, yet also seemingly a mass of dreamscape.
In short, this was a living spiritual energy.
No one in this world would know what this mass of light and shadow was, but Zhi Yan knew.
Because this was an absolute secret belonging to the Dragon God Temple.
This mass of light and shadow was called the Dream of Fall!
The Dragon Seal sacred objects of this world were of many kinds. There were traces left by the Divine Dragon, flames spat out by the Divine Dragon, and tears left behind by the Divine Dragon, and so on.
And the Dragon Seal sacred object before her eyes was a dream of the Divine Dragon, a fallen dream!
This Dream of Fall was even acclaimed as one of the roots of the destruction of the ancient civilisation!
Of course, this did not mean that this dream was so powerful that it directly destroyed the ancient civilisation.
Rather, this dream represented certain aspects of the Divine Dragon’s fall!
Legend had it that the ancient Divine Dragon was omnipotent and incomparably powerful, the guardian deity of this world’s plane.
Moreover, it was eternally noble and pure, devoid of desire.
And as the opposite of light, the Dark Sovereign Demon, there was not a day when it did not think of drilling out from the dark plane to devour and occupy this world.
But darkness was after all not the match of light, and demons were not the match of the Divine Dragon. Across countless ages, it was always suppressed in the shadows of the world.
The demon, at its wit’s end and unable to confront the Divine Dragon head-on, gradually began to entice the Divine Dragon into falling.
After countless years of enticement.
The Divine Dragon, bright, just, and incomparably powerful, finally one day had a romantic dream.
Although it was merely a small romantic dream, and very hazy at that.
But this also represented that the great Divine Dragon had desire, representing the root of fall.
For a perfect thing, even the slightest flaw was a tremendous weakness.
Although, after waking, the Divine Dragon immediately stripped this romantic dream from its spirit and completely sealed it.
But this still could not change the fact that it had desire, even if only a tiny bit of desire.
Then, in its struggle against the Dark Sovereign Demon, it gradually began to suffer defeats.
And as the guardian deity of the plane, its defeats directly caused the entire world to be turned upside down.
Demon blood surged forth, time and again destroying human civilisation.
Of course, countless years had passed.
In this world today, there was no more Divine Dragon, and no more demon.
Only a world full of scars remained, human civilisation struggling to rise, and demon barbarian tribes scattered like sand.
And that small romantic dream of the Divine Dragon had been completely sealed away, its whereabouts unknown.
Yet no one had expected that this Dream of Fall was actually sealed within this Pagoda Tower.
Rumour had it that what sealed this romantic dream was a mass of energy. No one had expected that it had now transformed into a substantial towering pagoda.
How many years had passed? Tens of thousands? Or even longer?
In this world, nothing could escape the ravages of time, including energy.
Through countless years of dissipation, the energy of this Divine Dragon’s Dream of Fall had probably been nearly exhausted.
Because according to records, this Pagoda Island had only appeared in this world nine years ago. Before this, it had been nothing but a vast ocean.
In the ages before, this Pagoda Island had similarly existed. It was just that anyone who passed by it would be misled and shielded by the energy field here, never able to see this island.
Nine years ago, the energy of the Divine Dragon’s Dream of Fall had completely depleted, so it could no longer shield and hide the entire Pagoda Island. Only then did the people of the world discover the existence of this island.
And the Demon Continent was the first power to discover Pagoda Island and the Pagoda Tower, so they completely sealed off the area.
They sent countless people inside, but not a single person came out alive.
Because upon entering the Pagoda Tower, one would completely sink into desire, dying when one’s oil ran dry.
For the Divine Dragon, this was merely a small romantic dream.
But for the humans who entered, this was completely a vast ocean of desire.
Fortunately, after countless years of dissipation, the spiritual energy of this Divine Dragon’s Dream of Fall had dissipated countless times over.
Otherwise, when humans entered, they would probably be instantly burned to ashes by desire.
And this Dream of Fall of the Divine Dragon was probably also one of the most special Dragon Seal sacred objects in the world.
…
Zhi Yan stood up and gazed dreamily at this mass of Divine Dragon’s Dream of Fall.
How beautiful, how profound a light and shadow it was.
Just one look made one sink into depravity.
Moreover, it floated in mid-air, only a chi away from Zhi Yan, within arm’s reach.
Zhi Yan could not help but extend her jade-like hand, involuntarily reaching towards it to touch it.
But very quickly she awoke with a start and withdrew her hand!
Although most of the energy of this Divine Dragon’s Dream of Fall had already dissipated, it still contained incomparably powerful spiritual energy, containing boundless desire.
Entering the Pagoda Tower, even approaching this Dream of Fall, Zhi Yan could effortlessly resist the invasion of desire, because she was devoid of desire.
But once she touched this Dream of Fall, this terrifying energy would probably drill into her body.
Even Zhi Yan, who was devoid of desire, would be completely devoured by the flames of desire!
But…
What Zhi Yan lacked was precisely desire. If she wished to become a Holy Maiden, then being devoid of desire was of course good.
But now, she had already left the Dragon God Temple and returned to the secular world.
In the future, she still had to become the Queen of the Raging Wave Kingdom. She could no longer be devoid of desire.
And the greatest problem between her and Suo Lun, the greatest obstacle, was also her lack of desire.
She had always said that she wanted to become a normal woman.
Then this was the best opportunity before her eyes, perhaps even the only opportunity.
Reaching out to touch this Dream of Fall, to devour it, or rather, to be devoured by it.
As for what the consequences of devouring this mass of dream of desire would be?
Zhi Yan looked towards Zhuang Zhi Xuan, who was still madly entangled with Suo Lun. Her entire person was still being fiercely burned by desire.
Probably, this would be the consequence!