That day—
Heaven Dou City was on high alert, as if sensing a looming catastrophe.
The Imperial Guards and the Spirit Master Enforcement Squads swept through the city like combs through tangled hair, turning every street and alley upside down.
They left no stone unturned.
All four gates of the city were sealed under heavy guard. Entry was permitted, but no one could leave.
And the culprit?
Already identified.
The clues were all too clear.
Anyone familiar with Li Zhexian knew—
the only recent grudge he had was with Ma Hongjun, a student from the other city.
And the man traveling with Ma Hongjun—
Zhao Wuji, the Immovable King himself, a Spirit Sage-level powerhouse.
Everything matched.
Heaven Dou City may have spanned hundreds of square kilometers—
But under the Imperial Guards' blanket search, even a rabbit couldn't hide.
...
Northern outskirts of the Imperial City.
A remote village.
Zhao Wuji crouched in the shadows, fists clenched, breath growing heavier as he watched unfamiliar faces stream into the village.
They found me this fast?!
Li Zhexian really does have powerful friends...
He had returned to the inn before dawn.
But Ma Hongjun's condition had worsened. Zhao Wuji had gone out to seek medicine, which delayed their departure.
By the time he stabilized Hongjun and tried to leave the city—
it was already too late.
Zhao Wuji turned his head, his gaze looking toward the depths of the village
Ma Hongjun was hidden there, under the care of people arranged by Qin Ming.
I can't run anymore.
If I leave, they'll find Ma Hongjun for sure.
Even if Hongjun did nothing, he won't escape the backlash.
"Grandmaster... Dean... they should have received word by now."
"I've done everything I could."
"It's just a shame..."
"I'm not sure if Li Zhexian is dead or not!"
A storm of chaotic thoughts churned in Zhao Wuji's mind.
He took a deep breath and strode out from the village entrance.
The moment his figure emerged—
He was spotted by the Spirit Masters searching the area.
They instantly swarmed him, encircling him so tightly that not even a drop of water could slip through.
"Heh…"
Zhao Wuji's gaze swept across their faces, then twisted into a fierce grin.
"If I die today, taking one of you down is worth it. Two? That's a profit!"
"ROARRR—!"
His body suddenly expanded, violent Spirit Power surging wildly around him as he prepared to unleash his Martial Soul True Body.
But at that exact moment—
A withered hand appeared from thin air and slapped Zhao Wuji hard across the face.
PAH—!
The sharp crack echoed like a whip.
Zhao Wuji was sent flying over a hundred meters.
The forming Martial Soul True Body was forcibly scattered.
"Used to bullying the weak, aren't you?"
Dugu Bo stood with his hands behind his back, emerald green eyes icy as winter.
"Now answer me—where is Li Zhexian?"
Zhao Wuji staggered back to his feet.
A greenish handprint blazed across the left side of his face.
Around the edges of the print, his skin peeled away like rotting bark, crumbling to the ground.
Though Zhao Wuji was a hardened man, the pain made him tremble all over. Yet he didn't utter a word.
"Your Excellency Poison Douluo,"
Snake Lance Douluo, disguised as the Crown Prince's personal guard, stepped forward.
"By His Highness the Crown Prince's command, it may be best to bring Zhao Wuji back to the palace for interrogation."
"With the proper torture, he'll talk soon enough."
Dugu Bo nodded slowly.
"If you get anything, inform me first."
Zhao Wuji was dragged to the rear courtyard of the Crown Prince's palace.
At first, he still wore a mocking sneer.
But the moment his eyes landed on the figure hanging from the thorn-stone pillar in the courtyard, his expression froze, and his tiger-like eyes widened.
"Qin… Qin Ming?!"
"You…"
Qin Ming struggled to raise his head, his bloodless face squeezing out a bitter smile.
"Teac…her… actually, when I told you about Sword Wine's identity…"
"I already knew… this day would come…"
Zhao Wuji stood there like thunder had struck him.
A flood of emotions surged—regret, guilt, anguish.
Qin Ming should've had a bright future...
But because of his own desperate plea for help, the young man now faced death, all options closed off.
"This has nothing to do with anyone else!"
"I acted alone!"
Zhao Wuji roared hoarsely.
Xue Qinghe walked forward.
"Where is Li Zhexian?"
Zhao Wuji remained silent, his throat working as he swallowed.
"I want you to let Qin—"
Shhk—
Before he could finish, a blade-like beam of concentrated Light Spirit Power suddenly slashed out.
SPLUT—
Qin Ming's wrist was severed clean off, his hand falling to the ground.
"AAAHHH!!!"
His bloodcurdling scream ripped through the courtyard's suffocating silence.
Zhao Wuji's eyes turned bloodshot. His chest heaved with rage.
"I'll talk…"
"Li Zhexian…"
He stared straight at Xue Qinghe, cruelty and despair flashing in his eyes as he spat out each word:
"Is. Dead. I. Killed. Him."
"I dumped the body in the moat."
"Let Qin Ming go, and I'll take you to find his body."
Silence engulfed the courtyard once more.
Xue Qinghe slowly closed her eyes.
Every breath became a struggle, like an invisible hand was strangling her. Waves of suffocation crashed down.
Only buzzing static filled her ears. The world had gone quiet.
She dragged her feet.
Ignoring the words from Porcupinefish Douluo and Snake Lance Douluo.
Xue Qinghe didn't even know how she left the courtyard.
Seeing her state, Snake Lance's expression darkened, and with a wave of his hand, several elderly eunuchs holding torture instruments cackled as they stepped into the courtyard.
Xue Qinghe didn't stop until she entered her own chambers.
Her eyes landed on the windowsill, where the morning sun spilled over the blooming Morning Glory, its light reflecting in her unfocused gaze.
In that hazy radiance—
She seemed to see that youth in white again, patting the empty space beside him with a smile, beckoning her to come sit.
Tears burst forth without warning.
They rolled silently down her pale cheeks.
Xue Qinghe choked back sobs, her slender shoulders trembling faintly.
"Li Zhexian…"
"This Crown Pr... Saintess forbids you to die."
"You haven't seen what I truly look like…"
"You've never called me by my real name…"
"I haven't even gone fishing with you… as myself…"
"This Saintess forbids you to die!"
...
Suotuo City.
Flander and Yu Xiaogang were both furious and alarmed upon receiving the message.
They immediately departed for Heaven Dou City.
Watching them rush off—
Tang San and Oscar exchanged bewildered looks, full of confusion.
Only Dai Mubai quietly clenched his fists.
Even though the Dean and the Grandmaster hadn't said anything…
That letter came from Heaven Dou City.
To shake both of them like this... it was almost certainly something to do with Fatty.
Tang San glanced at Dai Mubai.
"Mubai, do you know what happened?"
Dai Mubai's face flickered with conflicting emotions.
Eventually, he lowered his voice and gave Tang San and Oscar a cleaned-up version of the truth.
As expected, Tang San and Oscar were instantly filled with righteous anger.
"Hmph. The Shrek Seven Monster are a team. If that Sword Wine hurt Fatty, we're not going to just stand by."
Not even a full day after Flander and Yu Xiaogang left—
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing returned from training in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Upon learning that the Dean and the Grandmaster had rushed to the Imperial City—
Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful face turned grim. She immediately guessed it had something to do with "Sword Wine."
She didn't even waste time explaining.
In one swift motion, she mounted her horse and shook the reins.
She bolted down the official road toward the Imperial City like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Hey! Zhuqing!"
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong's shouts were left behind in a trail of dust.
Dai Mubai's evil eyes were filled with murderous fury.
"So it's true!"
"That bitch Zhu Zhuqing really is involved with that Sword Wine!"
...
"Cough… cough… cough…"
High on a branch of an ancient tree—
Li Zhexian slowly opened his eyes. The sudden sunlight stabbed his vision, forcing him to squint and close them briefly before opening again.
"It's good to be alive..."
"Hiss, that hurts so much..."