Chapter 207: Seven Days? Lady Jade Was Harmed?   This development exceeded everyone’s expectations.

The two maidservants were so frightened that they had fallen to the ground, trembling. Meanwhile, the soldiers were flustered, unsure if they should charge forward.

Hua Yuexing was one of the Divine Capital’s Three Godly Archers. She was of the same status as Li Qing, a Black Knight, and Chen Zhu, Mo Li’s subordinate.

Both Li Qing and Chen Zhu were dead. Hua Yuexing was the only one left, but she had just been hit in close-range by Mingshi Yin!

Mingshi Yin said with a smile, “You dare play tricks? I’ll have your life for this...” The Separation Hook and Scabbard appeared in his hands and gleamed coldly.

Lady Jade was ghastly pale at this moment. She hastily bowed and said, “Old senior, wait!”

Lu Zhou placed Hua Yuexing’s bow on the stone table and said indifferently, “Let her come.”

Mingshi Yin and Duanmu Sheng retreated to the side obediently.

Hua Yuexing staggered. She was almost mortally wounded by this hit.

Fortunately, Mingshi Yin had held back.

Lady Jade’s voice rang in the air. “Come here.”

Although Hua Yuexing was slightly reluctant, she flew up and returned to the pagoda. She looked at Lu Zhou, Mingshi Yin, and the others nervously.

Lady Jade stood before Lu Zhou. She bowed again and said, “I had no choice... but to do what I had to do.”

“Oh, you’re confessing?” Lu Zhou asked.

Lady Jade said with a sigh, “Indeed, Yunsan is one of mine...”

With her admission, everything became clear.

Since Yunsan was Lady Jade’s subordinate, he, naturally, did not dare to say anything. Moreover, it was clear Hua Yuexing planned to silence him.

Lu Zhou gave Little Yuan’er a signal.

Little Yuan’er swung her arm and tug on the Nirvana Sash, yanking Yunsan back into the pagoda. She asked with a grin, “Master... Should I break his legs so that he can’t run anymore?”

Yunsan shuddered.

Little Yuan’er did not push the matter when she saw Lu Zhou remaining silent. She pulled a face at Yunsan before she moved to the side.

Lu Zhou’s gaze fell on Yunsan again. He said, “Speak.”

Yunsan shuddered. He kowtowed at Lady Jade before saying, “The remaining three fragments are with Lady Jade... Please forgive me, Lady Jade! Forgive me, Lady Jade!”

If they did the math, there were four Sky Fragments in the palace... Lu Zhou had already obtained the fragment that Jiang Aijian retrieved from the warehouse and did not have to consider that.

Lady Jade sighed and said, “Old senior, Hua Yuexing’s bow was forged from the Sky Fragments... I kept this a secret because I didn’t want to deepen the misunderstanding between us. I was unaware that Yunsan would exploit his association with me to set up various contraptions in the vicinity to get his hands on the Giant Silkworm Gloves.”

The disciples looked at the bow on the stone table and were slightly shocked. They now understood why their master attacked Hua Yuexing. He had noticed this from the start.

Lu Zhou remained silent.

Lady Jade hastily continued, “If I wanted to make an enemy out of the Evil Sky Pavilion, why would I come to Skylark Pagoda. Isn’t that tantamount to seeking death?”

Skylark Pagoda was silent again.

Even the simple act of breathing seemed difficult.

Hua Yuexing cupped her fists and said, “If that weren’t the case, I wouldn’t have acted against Yunsan as well.”

When they arrived, they saw the huge arrow wrapped in energy shooting toward Little Yuan’er. It was Hua Yuexing’s arrow that stopped the attack.

Hua Yuexing spoke again, “I’ll return the bow to the Evil Sky Pavilion immediately!”

Mingshi Yin mumbled, “That’s more like it.”

If the forging was done correctly, two Sky Fragments could form a heaven-grade weapon. However, the supplementary materials needed were extremely rare as well.

Lu Zhou did not expect the three Sky Fragments to produce a mere earth-grade bow. It was truly a waste. He waved his arm and put the bow away.

“Ding! Recovered Sky Bow. Re-refinement needed. May obtain Sky Fragments x3.”

Meanwhile, Lu Zhou glanced at the progress of this mission. Recovering Sky Fragments (7/8). This went much smoother than he expected. He initially thought that the Sky Fragments would be scattered all over the world, and it would cause him great pains to find them. He did not expect the people of the outside world would view items that he discarded as rare treasures. If the others had thought it was trash as well and tossed them aside, it would have been much more difficult to locate them.

There was one final fragment left.

Lu Zhou looked at Yunsan and said, “Yunsan, I’ll give you a chance to live.”

When Yunsan heard he would be given a chance to live, he hastily kowtowed at Lu Zhou. His forehead knocked loudly on the floor as he said, “Kindly give your instruction, old senior! I’ll do anything to stay alive!”

“I admire those who are courteous the most,” Lu Zhou said slowly, “Since you gave the Sky Fragment to the Clarity Sect, you’ll be the one to retrieve it.”

Yunsan was taken aback.

When he saw that Yunsan had fallen into a daze, Mingshi Yin said, “If you’re not going... Just as well, it’s been a long time since I’ve smelled fresh blood.” As he spoke, he stretched his limbs.

Upon seeing this, Yunsan shuddered. He, naturally, did not dare to refuse and said, “I’ll go, I’ll go...”

There were many elites in the Clarity Sect. It would not be easy to retrieve the final Sky Fragment from the sect. Yunsan was skilled in theft. Even if he could not ask for it, he could still steal it and bring it back. If it were not for the Binding Cage Cards, Lu Zhou would have to expend more effort and time to catch a master thief like Yunsan.

Yunsan spoke fearfully, “Old... old senior, I can go to the Clarity Sect... but, uh, can you, un-unseal my cultivation base?”

Mingshi Yin hastily said, “Master, I have something to say.” When would he be able to show off if not now?

“Speak.”

“Yunsan is skilled in stealing techniques. If we unseal his cultivation base, it might not be easy to capture him again. He was even bold enough to brag in your face. A despicable man like him is capable of anything,” Mingshi Yin said, “However, he won’t be able to use his skills if his cultivation base remains sealed. I can place a Primal Qi seal on him so that he won’t be able to run away.”

Lu Zhou nodded. It was an approval of Mingshi Yin’s suggestion.

Mingshi Yin cupped his fists at Lu Zhou and went to Yunsan’s side. He raised a hand, and a beam of Primal Qi appeared. The green Primal Qi formed a unique seal.

Bam!

He slammed it into Yunsan’s body.

Puh!

Yunsan spat out a mouthful of blood.

This seal was unlike ordinary seals. Ordinary seals could be forcibly shattered by cultivators who were stronger than the seal user. However, Mingshi Yin’s seal was etched on the target’s marrow and meridians. It was impossible to remove. However, this unique seal’s effect had a time limit. This was its flaw.

Lady Jade was taken aback when she saw Mingshi Yin use the special seal on Yunsan. This meant she would not be able to use Yunsan for the time being. As long as the seal existed, Yunsan was the Evil Sky Pavilion’s pawn. However, she could not do anything about this. Her current priority was to resolve the misunderstanding with the Evil Sky Pavilion. If there was a need, she would rather sacrifice Yunsan. Hence, her expression remained indifferent throughout the process.

“Master... It’s done. However, this seal will only last for three months...” Mingshi Yin said.

Lu Zhou stroked his beard and nodded. He looked at Yunsan and said, “I’ll give you seven days.”

Yunsan was taken aback. He stammered, “Is-isn’t it three months? Se-seven days... Isn’t it too short?”

Mingshi Yin said, “You have no right to haggle... If you don’t bring back the Sky Fragment in seven days, I’ll track you down. I’ll find you no matter where you are. I’ll dig a hole that’s three feet deep, flay you alive, and pull out your tendons before I cut you up into eight chunks...”

“...”

Yunsan had never been caught before. Now that he was captured by the Evil Sky Pavilion, his confidence was heavily impacted. There was only one emotion left in him at this moment; fear. He said, “Seven days... Fine, seven days it is...”

Lu Zhou waved his arm.

The cords of Binding Cage dissolved into spots of light like fireflies and eventually vanished.

Lady Jade looked at the unique technique and exclaimed in wonder, “You truly have amazing abilities, old senior. It’s no wonder the Evil Sky Pavilion stands tall to this day.”

Lu Zhou was, naturally, unmoved. He had become immune to flattery after listening to too much of it.

When Binding Cage disappeared, Yunsan was delighted to find his Primal Qi returning to him. He hastily kowtowed and said, “I’ll... go to the Clarity Sect right immediately.”

Time was short... Yunsan was only a Divine Court realm cultivator. It would be near impossible for him to retrieve an item from the Clarity Sect without a plan.

“Get lost then.” Mingshi Yin waved him off.

Yunsan leaped off Skylark Pagoda and sped into the forest. Soon after, he vanished from sight.

Lady Jade forced a smile on her face before she said, “Old senior, I have something else to attend to. I’ll take my leave now.”

“Wait.” Lu Zhou stood up slowly.

Lady Jade was slightly stunned. She forced a smile and said, “Is there something else, old senior?”

“It seems like you’re not very sincere.” Since earlier, Lu Zhou had felt something was amiss, based on his conversation with Lady Jade, but he could not quite put his finger on it.

“Not very sincere?” Lady Jade appeared confused. She did not know what he meant.

“Have you met Mo Li before?” Lu Zhou asked.

“Naturally, I’ve met the Second Prince’s consort. However, Mo Li has always kept to herself. She rarely interacts with other people,” Lady Jade. She seemed to have noticed something as she added, “Don’t worry, old senior. My heart is with the Emperor. I’ll never collude with the likes of them.”

Lu Zhou remained silent as he looked at Nine Tune River with his hands on his back.

Her words were clear, but her sincerity was not.

At this moment, someone said mockingly from the eighth floor of the pagoda, “Wow, I never thought I’d see the day where Lady Jade is so submissive.”

Jiang Aijian’s voice was too unique to miss. His very voice invited others to give him a good beating. Unfortunately, they could not see through the floor.

Jiang Aijian continued, “Old senior... Yunsan is one of Lady Jade’s subordinates. If Lady Jade didn’t support him, he wouldn’t dare to covet the Giant Silkworm Gloves. If she goes unpunished, I’m afraid that it’ll tarnish the Evil Sky Pavilion’s reputation.”

Lu Zhou looked calm.

Mingshi Yin nodded when he heard this and said, “I’m surprised you’re capable of saying such sensible words. The Evil Sky Pavilion has always paid its debts. I mean, we’ve always clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges.”

Lady Jade understood what he meant. She took a step back. Her maidservants and soldiers planted themselves before her. Hua Yuexing moved next to her as well.

The comfortable atmosphere turned tense again.

Jiang Aijian continued, “The old senior has already seen through your act... Are you going to keep this up?”

The others were puzzled by this statement.

Suddenly, Lady Jade’s expression darkened. She began to emit a purple smoke. A familiar-looking red lotus appeared on her forehead. However, she did not attack. She merely had a murderous expression on her face...

The purple smoke spread into the surroundings...

“Lady Jade!”

The others conjured their protective energies to keep the purple smoke at bay. They were worried it was poisonous.

As the purple smoke spread, the golden lotus[1] on Lady Jade’s forehead faded. The murderous expression faded from her face as well.

Hua Yuexing was perplexed by this. “This is...”

At this moment, Jiang Aijian walked up from the eighth floor with a smile on his face.

The purple smoke dissipated in the air, and Lady Jade fell.

The two maidservants quickly caught her.

Lu Zhou appeared calm.

His disciples, on the other hand, were shocked.

When the purple smoke appeared, they thought she was some powerful witchcraft practitioner and had prepared themselves for a fierce battle. They did not expect that Lady Jade would faint as soon as the red lotus on her forehead faded away.

“Jiang Aijian... You knew she was being controlled all along?” Mingshi Yin asked, feeling slightly speechless.

“Of course... I had to keep a low profile. She could see everything through Lady Jade’s eyes,” Jiang Aijian flipped his hair and said, “After all, I do stand out. It won’t do for me to be recognized.” He did not say anything about him being the Third Prince.

The maidservants, soldiers, and Hua Yuexing did not recognize Jiang Aijian. They merely looked at him indifferently. They thought this newcomer must be someone from the Evil Sky Pavilion as well. It would certainly explain his shamelessness.

Hua Yuexing exclaimed in shock, “You’re saying that Lady Jade was being controlled?”

“Of course.” Jiang Aijian rolled his eyes at her. “Lady Jade isn’t a cultivator. She’s a mere mortal. She can roam the palace without restriction and serves the most powerful man under the heavens. If I were Mo Li, I wouldn’t let this opportunity slip past my fingers.”

Hua Yuexing staggered backward. She quickly touched her face and hair. She was worried that she was being controlled as well.

Mingshi Yin said, “Since she was being controlled, why didn’t she attack us through Lady Jade? After all, she’s only a puppet.”

Jiang Aijian raised his fingers and said, “First, I think Mo Li is injured. Second, witchcraft spells only have 60% of its efficacy when unleashed through a puppet. She has no choice but to retreat in the face of an expert like old senior. Hence, she proposed a truce through Lady Jade to buy herself some time to recuperate. In a way, Lady Jade is a victim as well. With such ruthlessness, it’s a shame that Mo Li didn’t join the Evil Sky Pavilion.”

Several pairs of eyes instantly landed on Jiang Aijian.

‘Such heavy killing intent!’ Jiang Aijian hastily said, “Uh... I mean, she’s only treading the small path which is evil... the great path is the Fiend Path.”

That was more like it.

Although the Evil Sky Pavilion was of the Fiend Path, they would never do something as despicable as this.

Jiang Aijian glanced at the unconscious Lady Jade and said, “Well? What’re you standing there for? Take your Lady Jade with you and leave!”

The two maidservants hastily propped Lady Jade up and went down the stairs.

Lu Zhou did not stop them. Instead, he sat down slowly and looked on as the maidservants brought Lady Jade away.

Hua Yuexing wanted to leave as well, but Jiang Aijian said, “You can’t leave.”

“Huh?”

“What? Do you want to return to Mo Li and become one of her talons?” Jiang Aijian asked.

Hua Yuexing was stunned.

Lu Zhou stared at Jiang Aijian as if he was looking at his prey. He spoke slowly, “Liu Chen.”

Jiang Aijian shuddered. He started when Lu Zhou called him by his real name.

[1] This might be a typo from the author. The mark of witchcraft should be a red lotus.