Chapter 138: Mulan, Not Bad

No miraculous turn of events occurred, nor did any guardian angel descend from the heavens. Under the cold glare of the guards' blades, Mu Lan perished in an instant, utterly vanishing from the mortal world without leaving a single trace behind.

Luo Kui's expression remained tranquil, his heart filled with an overwhelming sense of gratification that followed his initial anger. It was only at this very moment that a sudden realization dawned upon him: the affection he previously held for Mu Lan was not truly for who she was, but perhaps merely an infatuation with her physical form.

At this thought, Shen Yuqin's lovely visage inevitably floated into Luo Kui's mind, refusing to be dislodged.

However, none of this mattered anymore. The most pressing priority right now was to swiftly resolve the immediate troubles at hand. That Gu Hanguang was no benevolent figure; he was an outright tyrant who would devour people without spitting out their bones. Compared to him, Luo Kui himself was merely a minor sorcerer meeting a greater one.

Yet, if Gu Hanguang was not someone to be trifled with, neither was Luo Kui an easy mark. His rise to power had been equally steeped in bloodshed and every unscrupulous, underhanded tactic imaginable.

That Pavilion of Exquisite Makeup, though seemingly lucrative, sweeping through the entire Ghost City and adored by countless noble matrons, was ultimately nothing extraordinary in the eyes of those at their level. It could hardly be called indispensable.

Gu Hanguang would not go so far as to completely sever ties with him over a mere makeup pavilion.

Besides, it was not as though he wouldn't compensate the other party. He was entirely confident that Gu Hanguang would heed his proposal, resulting in a mutually beneficial outcome for both sides.

Lu Yunshu had witnessed all of this with his own eyes, yet he felt entirely powerless. The few guards before him had already driven him to the brink of exhaustion, and with another opponent about to join the fray, he could already feel a profound sense of failing strength.

If his focus wavered even for a split second, the opponent's lethal, chilling blades would swiftly harvest his life.

He could no longer sit passively and await his doom; he had to turn the passive situation into an active one. The only way to resolve his current predicament was to capture Luo Kui—ideally seizing control of the man's life in his own hands. Only by doing so would he possess any bargaining chips.

Luo Kui's gaze flickered as he offered a cold, mocking laugh. "Heh, you certainly hid your capabilities deep, actually managing to fight my most elite guards to a standstill. I only wonder if you had ulterior motives in doing so?"

"However, none of that matters now. Whether you harbored hidden motives or merely disguised yourself, everything about you will soon vanish into thin air."

"Do not measure a gentleman by the yardstick of a petty mind. I concealed myself merely to guard against shameless scoundrels, rather than living my entire life immersed in scheming and deceit like certain villains, viewing everyone else through a lens of suspicion. Do not assume the entire world is as treacherous as yourself," Lu Yunshu retorted with a sneer of derision. Even as he fended off the ferocious onslaught of his adversaries, he attempted to provoke Luo Kui.

As the saying goes: to capture an enemy, one must first drive them mad. A person who has lost their reason is always the easiest to deal with.

Though it might not necessarily work, it was the most viable method worth trying at the moment.

Yet, the scene that followed took him completely by surprise.

Luo Kui wore a mocking expression as he scoffed, "Death is at your doorstep, yet you still rely on mere cleverness of tongue. I have nothing to argue about with a dead man."

Lu Yunshu froze, the look he cast toward Luo Kui tinged with a hint of solemnity. The man was not as easily manipulated as he had imagined; he refused to fall for this trick.

The next moment, as if a sudden inspiration struck him, a flash of realization crossed his mind. Maintaining his mocking expression, he said, "You truly are a pathetic creature."

Immediately afterward, his face took on an expression of lingering reminiscence. "No wonder you could never win Mu Lan's heart. It is one thing to be all show and no substance, but paired with such greasy and repulsive features, I doubt any woman could ever truly love you."

Not feeling satisfied with that, he added a final jab: "By the way, Mu Lan was not bad at all."

"You're courting death!"

Luo Kui naturally caught the subtext of those words. A surge of burning fury erupted within his chest, completely consuming his rationality. He now possessed only a single thought: to hack the opponent into a thousand pieces so as to appease the hatred in his heart.

Had it been any other topic, he might have simply laughed it off, comforting himself with the thought that there was no need to bicker with a corpse, thus subduing his anger. But when the aspect he cared about most was insulted, he could no longer maintain his composure—especially upon hearing that final sentence, which felt like an unbearable and supreme humiliation.

That bitch!

It had been far too merciful to let her die so easily just now.

If given another chance, he would definitely make Mu Lan experience what it felt like to wish for death while being unable to die.

Luo Kui cursed inwardly, but time could not be reversed. He could only vent the entirety of his surging fury upon Lu Yunshu.

Gritting his teeth, he said in a deep, venomous voice, "Fine! I shall grant your wish. You have successfully enraged me, and I will thoroughly play along with you. I only hope your physical resilience matches that sharp tongue of yours, and that you won't disappoint me too much."

Scarcely had Luo Kui's voice fallen when he turned and issued an order to the guards: "Do not let him die too easily. Use the Soul-Splitting Art; I want him to experience the agony of having his soul devoured by ten thousand ants."

"Understood!"

The guards exchanged glances, unanimously holding back a fraction of their strength. However, this was done on the premise that they could still easily suppress Lu Yunshu; they certainly could not afford to let him escape simply in pursuit of prolonging his torture.

Feeling the sudden reduction in the pressure surrounding him, a faint, imperceptible smile touched the corner of Lu Yunshu's lips. He concealed it masterfully, and amidst the chaotic backdrop of the battlefield, Luo Kui completely failed to notice that trace of a successful scheme.

Just moments prior, under the relentless, step-by-step advance of the guards, there had been zero possibility of success. If that momentum had continued unchecked, within the span of an incense stick, he would have undoubtedly followed in Mu Lan's footsteps.

Meanwhile, Luo Kui watched the increasingly weakened Lu Yunshu with the detached, amused interest of a spectator. As the old saying went, two fists could not match four hands. As long as the disparity in strength was not insurmountable, his guards could easily wear Lu Yunshu down to death through sheer attrition.

With a mocking grin, Luo Kui sneered, "Does stubborn resistance serve any purpose?"

"In the end, you still cannot escape the fate of perishing into nothingness."

"Bah! Until the very end, who ultimately triumphs remains entirely uncertain."

"Good, you have backbone. I admire people with backbone, though I only wonder if you will still be this obstinate shortly."

As they spoke, the battle between Lu Yunshu and the guards gradually escalated to a fever pitch. Taking advantage of the heat of combat and the opponents' lack of awareness, he inched closer and closer to Luo Kui's direction, step by step.